In a massive card-cloning scam, `15 lakh was fraudulently withdrawn from the accounts of 37 persons, including 15 Maharashtra policemen.
The policemen held salary accounts in Axis Bank and the withdrawals were shown to be made from Greece. The Axis bank ATM below the Maharashtra police headquarters at Colaba is suspected to have been the place where the cards must have been cloned as most of the complaints have come from there.
The Mumbai police, including the crime branch, local police and cyber crime investigation cell, have initiated a massive investigation headed by DCP (Zone 3) Vinayak Deshmukh.
“The complaints are being registered at Colaba police station as the DG office and the ATM is located in their jurisdiction. We have formed a team of four officers, including a separate team formed by the Colaba police. Cyber crime officers are also assisting,” Mr Deshmukh said. Senior PI R.S. Sapule said an FIR has been registered following a complaint by the bank.
“We have learnt that there are around 14 to 15 policemen amongst the 37. We are in the process of identifying other victims,” he added.
Mr Deshmukh clarified the scam did not specifically target the police. Axis Bank officials from their Lower Parel headquarters visited the N.M. Joshi police station and promised cooperation.
***
Modi silent:D-U’s exit may aid him
Sanjay Basak
New Delhi, June 14
Narendra Modi, over whom there is turmoil within the BJP and in the NDA, is keeping a stony silence. He has not made any conciliatory remark or gesture as the BJP’s 18-year-old alliance with the JD(U) is on the verge of breaking up.
Mr Modi’s silence has set off speculation that he isn’t really perturbed over the Bihar developments. Saffron strategists feel if the JD(U) finally snaps tues, it will not merely end partriarch L.K. Advani’s desperate attempts to project himself as the “NDA glue”, but also pave the way for Mr Modi to be projected as the BJP’s face for 2014.
They also feel this will damage Bihar CM Nitish Kumar more than the BJP as it would enable Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD to emerge stronger.