Former branch manager of Union Bank of India arrested; How he helped run a fake loan racket worth crores of rupees under the Mudra scheme. Lucknow news
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) on Saturday arrested a senior bank official for his alleged involvement in a large-scale loan scam under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana using forged documents and fake identities. Nitin Chaudhary (39), a former branch manager of Union Bank of India, was currently posted as a credit manager at the bank’s Basant Vihar branch in Delhi.He was arrested by the joint team of STF and Cyber Crime Police Station, Lucknow from Basant Vihar branch premises.This matter came to light after a complaint was lodged at the STF headquarters by Raj Bahadur Gurung, a resident of Lucknow. Gurung said he had approached an intermediary and signed some bank documents to obtain a business loan. However, he was later informed that his loan application had been rejected.The shocking thing is that after about five to six months, he started receiving messages regarding pending EMI payments. Upon checking his credit report, he discovered that two loans had already been approved in his name without his knowledge or consent. This prompted them to contact the authorities, leading to a detailed investigation.Acting on the complaint, STF initiated a thorough investigation under the supervision of senior officers. Technical surveillance and intelligence gathering exposed a well-organized interstate racket involving bank officials, middlemen and document forgers.The investigation revealed that the syndicate fraudulently processed loans in the name of suspicious persons by manipulating identity documents such as Aadhaar and PAN cards. The photographs on these IDs were digitally altered and replaced with images of gang members, while forged signatures were used to complete the paperwork.The STF found that more than 100 individuals and entities were targeted, who had fraudulently sanctioned loans worth several crores of rupees in several banks.Earlier in the case, on September 13, 2025, STF had arrested four accused including another branch manager of Union Bank, Gaurav Kumar, and registered a case at Cyber Crime Police Station, Lucknow.Subsequent interrogation and analysis of seized documents led investigators to identify Aamir Ahsan as the mastermind of the operation. He was arrested on February 15, 2026.Nitin Chaudhary, who was absconding, was identified as a key conspirator and was eventually traced and arrested from Delhi.Additional SP, STF, Vishal Vikram Singh said that during sustained interrogation, Chaudhary revealed important information about the functioning of the fraud network. He revealed that during his posting in Lucknow he had come in contact with co-accused Naved, a salesman attached to the regional office of the bank. Their introduction soon turned into a criminal partnership aimed at making money through fake loan approvals.ASP Singh said, “The gang hatched a systematic plan to exploit the loopholes in the Mudra loan scheme. Fake firms were created to prepare the quotations required for loan approval. These fake companies controlled by Navid and Aamir acted as beneficiaries where the loan amount was transferred.”Chaudhary admitted to personally sanctioning several fake loans, including a loan of Rs 9 lakh in the name of Vishnu Kumar Pandey for purchasing a generator, a vehicle loan of Rs 15 lakh in the same name using forged quotations, a loan of Rs 10 lakh in the name of Mahendra Pandey for printing machinery, a loan of Rs 10 lakh in the name of Chandrika Prasad, a loan of Rs 9 lakh in the name of Amit Kumar Tiwari.All the money was sent to the accounts of “Lucknow Commercial Motors” and other fake companies created by the gang. The amount was later withdrawn and distributed among the conspirators.He further admitted that he had introduced co-accused Naveed to another bank manager of Jankipuram branch, Gaurav Kumar, who had also sanctioned dozens of fake loans in return for commission.The accused was produced in Patiala House Court of Delhi, from where transit remand was obtained. He has been brought to Lucknow for further questioning.Officials said forensic examination of the seized electronic devices is being conducted to uncover digital evidence and financial clues.STF believes that more members of the syndicate are still absconding and efforts are on to identify and arrest them. Investigators are probing the possible involvement of additional bank officials and the scope of the scam at other financial institutions.
In a post on Twitter, Vijay addressed the supporters as “comrades who live in my heart” and stressed that the next ten days will be crucial. He called on party members to hit the ground running and intensify the campaign, saying, “We, the primary force of change, are well on the way to victory… At this time, as election day is fast approaching, I make an appeal.”
The deal, which was intended to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while leasing back the strategic Diego Garcia military base, has effectively stalled because Britain has not had time to pass the necessary legislation before Parliament is dissolved.According to the BBC, officials made clear that the agreement was not being abandoned entirely, but they acknowledged that a key legal requirement, a formal exchange of letters from the US, had not yet been met.
