Supreme Court denies bail to prime accused in Jamshedpur bank fraud case

PINAKI MAJUMDAR

Jamshedpur, May 22: In a decisive move, the Supreme Court has rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Dheeraj Kumar Jha, the prime accused in the Rs 9.56 crore embezzlement scandal that rocked the Bank of India’s Kadma Uliyan and Gohaldang branches.

The ruling, delivered on May 13, marks a significant legal setback for the senior branch manager.

The apex court’s decision now clears the path for imminent arrests, including Jha and 17 other individuals named in the case.

Despite the scam being exposed nearly 22 months ago, no arrests have been made thus far—a delay that has drawn public scrutiny.

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As per advocate Manoj Kumar, the First Information Report (FIR) was lodged on July 18, 2023, at the Kadma police station by Satyaprakash, an officer of the Bank of India’s zonal office.

The complaint detailed a fraudulent nexus between Jha, Nitish Kumar (manager of the Gohaldang branch), and several account holders, through which substantial sums were misappropriated.

The accused allegedly sanctioned bogus loans and overdrafts against Term Deposit Receipts (TDRs), channelling the funds through 33 accounts between September 9, 2020, and August 3, 2023. A meticulous 22-month police investigation has since corroborated these claims.

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Jha’s repeated attempts to evade arrest—first through the lower courts, then the High Court, and finally the Supreme Court—have all been unsuccessful. Legal experts note that had his bail plea been accepted, it might have extended temporary reprieve to the other accused. However, the court’s denial is now expected to accelerate judicial proceedings.

This high-profile case has intensified concerns over systemic vulnerabilities in banking institutions, prompting renewed calls for robust oversight and swift punitive measures.