TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee loses ₹55 lakh to cyber fraud
What's the story
Trinamool Congress leader and four-time Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee has reportedly lost over ₹55 lakh in a cyber fraud after scammers broke into his bank account. The online scam happened after his dormant State Bank of India (SBI) account was reportedly activated using forged documents. The SBI High Court Branch in Kolkata has filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Police Station, initiating an investigation into the matter.
Fraud details
Fraudsters updated KYC details, gained access to account
According to the bank's complaint, the cybercriminals used fake PAN and Aadhaar cards with a superimposed photo to update Banerjee's KYC details. They also changed the registered mobile number on October 28, gaining full control of the account. Once they had access, they executed several online transactions and siphoned off around ₹56,39,767 through internet banking.
Fund usage
Investigation underway to trace the culprits
The stolen amount was then reportedly transferred to several beneficiary accounts, withdrawn from ATMs, and used to buy jewelry. A senior officer of the Kolkata Police Cyber Crime division said, "The entire matter is being investigated thoroughly. We are examining the bank's internal processes and contacting officials to determine how the account was accessed." Efforts are underway to trace the fraudsters and where they sent the money.
Discovery
MP found out about the fraud recently
According to News18 sources, the account in question has been inactive for some years. It was first opened while Banerjee was a Trinamool Congress MLA from Asansol (Dakshin) from 2001 to 2006, and his MLA pay was credited there. The dormant account, which had been untouched since then, was suddenly reactivated using these fake credentials. A senior Trinamool leader close to Banerjee said he is "hopeful that police will crack case soon."