The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police on Thursday arrested nine persons, including officials of the Swayambhu branch of Agriculture Development Bank, on the charge of involvement in a banking fraud worth Rs 340 million. CIB had carried out a six-month long investigation, following complaints by the bank against an employee of stealing money from the bank. The nine arrested are - former branch manager Kedar Prasad Gautam, his second wife Jeni Shrestha, his first wife Samjhana Pokharel, bank accountant Gita Panta, Bharat Bahadur Baniya, Surya Bahadur Limbu, Suman Bhujel, Sandeep Gupta and Ram Kumar Kumhar. "We found them of stealing Rs 340 million from the bank by opening fake remit bank accounts and withdrawing cash," said CIB Spokesperson SP Kiran Bajracharya. According to the police, Gautam, who had misappropriated the money using common operation ID, had resigned from the bank on the pretext of shifting base to the US. But instead he moved his family to Silgudhi of India and lived in Lazimpat with his younger wife.
