Bank manager flees with gold and cash amid surrender of fake gold traders in Lakhimpur
North Lakhimpur, May 24: A branch manager of a Ashirbad Gold Loan bank offering loan against gold ornaments has fled from North Lakhimpur after looting gold and cash estimated to be worth Rs 28 lakhs.
The incident took place at a time when police intensified operations against fake gold and counterfeit traders across Lakhimpur after the death of police officer Junmoni Rabha in an “mysterious” road accident in Jakahalabandha, Nagaon on May 16.
The branch manager identified as Abinash Mahanta of the North Lakhimpur branch of Ashirbad Gold Loan bank was found missing from his office on May 20. It was later found that deposited gold ornaments and cash were also missing.
The incident came to light on May 21st when customers visiting the branch found their loan account positions and statements in different amounts lesser than the deposit of their original mortgaged gold ornaments.
It is believed that the branch manager took away the gold ornaments and cash from the branch before corrupting its computer systems. A case has been lodged against Abinash Mahanta, who is a resident of Jorhat and the branch of the bank was also sealed by the police.
Meanwhile, the on-going operation by Lakhimpur Police against the fake gold and counterfeit traders of Bangalmora saw surrender and arrests of several offenders of the illicit activity. Those surrendered before the police are Abu Sahid alias Lambu Sahid, Zakir Hussain, Mizanur Rahman alias Mizu, Sahabuddin, Saidul Islam alias Saidullah and Abdul Razzak.
Lambu Sahid, who was until recently a BJP leader, is alleged to be the mastermind of the fake gold trade in Lakhimpur’s Bangalmora which has now expanded to entire Assam luring customers from across the country by phone calls. Similarly, Mizanur alias Mizu is alleged to be the mastermind of counterfeit currencies. All of them were named by Hasina Begum, the whistle-blower who had exposed the fake gold trader-police nexus following the death of SI Junmoni Rabha.
So far fourteen fake gold-counterfeiting traders from Bangalmora area has surrendered before the Lakhimpur police. So far 35 fake gold-counterfeit traders have surrendered before the Lakhimpur Police in the last 48 hours. The surrenders were preceded by several arrests by police at various locations of the district.
