The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Shimla, has booked branch manager of Union Bank of India at Nahan and three private individuals in currency exchange racket, after the government announced demonetisation of Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes.

According to the documents accessed by The Statesman, the CBI has booked all the four for criminal conspiracy, cheating and under sections of Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly exchanging around Rs.6 lakh in violation of rules.

The four include Bank manager, Neeraj Nautiyal and three private individual’s identified as Parvesh Bansal, Rajeshwar Lohiya and Sushil Kumar Goyal.

The CBI had secret information that the bank branch had adopted illegal practice of old currency notes with valid currency notes in bulk.

Though the RBI had fixed exchange of Rs.4,000 in old currency notes in a day but the bank had exchanged huge amount on IDs of various other persons.

The CBI had raided the bank on December 23, 2016, in the presence of independent witnesses and during which files pertaining to exchange forms, cash balance book, ATM Roll, cash deposit vouchers and computer printout details of exchange of old currency notes entered in online module of the bank were taken into possession for further verification.

On December 27, 2016, a Preliminary Enquiry was registered.

The CBI has now alleged that bank manager Neeraj Nautiyal got exchanged old currency notes in bulk on commission basis. The cash balance book allegedly reflected discrepancies to the tune of Rs.1.88 lakh in the period after announcement of demonetisation.

The CBI says, "It was further revealed that request slips/exchange forms filled for exchange of old currency notes with valid currency have been filled in similar handwritings and on the IDs of various other persons where IDs/Aadhar cards of small children have also been used who cannot fill the forms or sign and neither can they stand in queue in the bank.” It adds that it was suspected that an amount of Rs.2.49 lakh and Rs.2.40 lakh was got exchanged by Neeraj Nautiyal for 3 private individuals.

In addition to that it was further alleged that an amount of Rs.1 lakh was got exchanged, of Sushil Kumar Goyal, in lieu of which no exchange forms were either taken not entered in the online module of the bank. Finally on December 12, 2016, Sushil Kuamr Goyal allegedly handed over exchange forms amounting to Rs.84,000 to Nautiyal through ATM guard of the bank after he called him to do so.