In Chhattisgarh, a shameless racket has come to light. A fictitious SBI branch was opened ten days ago to commit huge financial fraud. Some 250 km from Raipur, the village of Chhapora was the venue of this scam. Unbeknownst to them, six unsuspecting employees had been hired, thinking that it was a real job at SBI. The fictitious branch began ten days ago with new furniture, professional documents, and bank operating counters.
People began visiting the “bank” to open accounts while the fraud was in progress. The bubble finally burst on September 27 after police, and SBI officials initiated an investigation following suspicions of the manager of the nearby Dabra branch. A preliminary inquiry confirmed that the Chhapora branch was fictitious, and employees were appointed on fake documents.
Police have identified four persons, including Rekha Sahu and Pankaj, who have impersonated the branch manager in this connection. The fraudsters handed over authentic offer letters and designations to the employees for a consideration of ₹2 lakh to ₹6 lakh against every appointment.
One of the villagers, Ajay Kumar Agarwal, found the sudden emergence of the SBI branch suspicious. He inquired into it and found some discrepancies. He then reported the matter to the branch manager of Dabra and, in the process, exposed the scam.
They operated the sham branch from a rented space, complete with proper signage and furniture, targeting unemployed people hailing from nearby districts. Victims have since been facing not only financial losses but also legal troubles for having mortgaged jewelry or taken loans to pay for the false appointments. The incident underlines people’s vulnerabilities in searching for employment during tough economic times.
