Madras High Court orders Dharmapuri cops to register case against bank officials

Chennai: The Madras High Court directed the Dharmapuri Police to register a case against Repco Bank officials based on a complaint received from P. Kamalakannan, Manager of Repco Bank, Dharmapuri.

Justice M.S. Ramesh, before whom a petition came up for hearing, said the Inspector of Police, Dharmapuri police station is not justified in having received the complaint and keeping it unattended without any further action. If the inquiry discloses the commission of a cognisable offence, the FIR must be registered, if not already registered or closed.

According to petitioner P. Kamalakannan, he was the bank manager of Repco Bank, Dharmapuri branch. He was taking up grievances of the employees and exposing fraudulent activities of the bank officials. This angered the Repco Bank MD, Isabella, who transferred him to Madurai branch as a second level officer.

Isabella also tried to punish him after relieving him from the Dharmapuri branch. The MD, under the guise of inspection, sent an official team and tried to obtain false complaints against him. Later, the chief manager and the branch fraudulently received a false complaint from seven persons as if they handed over old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes worth Rs 1.55 crore to close loan account.

The MD and chief manager conspired to harass him. He filed a complaint with Dharmapuri police to register a case and also approached the DGP and also sent copies of the complaint to ADGP, Social Justice and Human Rights, for their necessary action on the false complaint made against him. As there was no response he filed the petition.