₹122 crore New India Bank scam: Red Corner Notice for Hiren Bhanu, wife Gauri

Mumbai (The Uttam Hindu): Mumbai Police is preparing a Red Corner Notice against former New India Co-operative Bank chairman Hiren Bhanu, his wife and the bank's acting vice-president Gauri Bhanu in the alleged scam of Rs 122 crore. Mumbai's Esplanade Court has already issued a proclaimed offender notice against both of them. After this, Mumbai Police has started its action.

In a statement, Mumbai Police said that the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) had issued a non-bailable warrant for the second time against Hiren Bhanu and his wife Gauri Bhanu after already filing a chargesheet as both the accused had fled abroad before the scam came to light.

Mumbai Police says that now after the court has issued the proclaimed offender notice, the EOW is preparing to request the issuance of a Red Corner Notice (RCN). This process will be initiated with the help of Interpol, which may take about a month.

In April, Mumbai's Esplanade Court declared Hiren Bhanu and his wife Gauri Bhanu as fugitive criminals in the Rs 122 crore embezzlement case. At the same time, the court also allowed the police to confiscate 21 properties worth Rs 167.85 crore of five accused in the case. The Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police has arrested 8 people in this case, including the bank's former general manager Hitesh Mehta and former CEO Abhimanyu Bhon.

After the scam came to light, Hiren Bhanu left the country with his wife. However, Hiren Bhanu had claimed innocence and accused arrested senior official Hitesh Mehta of being solely responsible for the Rs 122 crore fraud. In his statement, Hiren Bhanu had revealed that Mehta had confessed to the crime during a phone call when RBI officials first arrived at the bank's Prabhadevi headquarters in February.