Ex-UP minister duped by bank, FIR lodged

An FIR was registered against Ramakant Pandey, manager, PNB Metlife India Insurance under various charges, including 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach), 467 (forging documents), 468 (forgery), and 471 (dishonesty).

Lucknow: Former Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Manoj Pandey has filed an FIR at the Cantt police station against the manager of the insurance arm of a nationalised bank on charges of duping him of several lakhs of rupees in the name of life insurance policy.

An FIR was registered against Ramakant Pandey, manager, PNB Metlife India Insurance under various charges, including 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach), 467 (forging documents), 468 (forgery), and 471 (dishonesty).

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Manoj Pandey in his complaint said that in 2019, a man who claimed to be the manager of the PNB Metlife India Insurance approached him at his Dilkusha house and explained to him about a life insurance scheme.

“He told me that by depositing an installment of approximately Rs 10 lakh per year, I will get a return of Rs 39 lakh 20 thousand after three years along with a bonus of Rs 5.37 lakh. A total of Rs 44,57,554 lakh will be returned to me. Also, if I want to withdraw my money, I will get the same amount back. He also said that if I withdraw the money after four years, I will get a total bonus of Rs 63.23 lakh,” said the complainant.

He further said, “When my CA asked for scheme details for better understanding, he sent the details through an email. On payment of the first installment of Rs 10 lakhs, I received two bonds which I sent to my CA to match the scheme details which were found to be different from the scheme discussed with the manager.”

“When contacted, the said manager assured me in writing that I will get the plan (benefit) as discussed earlier. On his assurance, I paid the second installment of Rs 9,78,469 and the third installment of Rs 9,78,470,” he said.

The complainant said he gave all three installments to the manager through a bank cheque.

“The fourth installment of Rs 9,78,470 was given to the said manager in the year 2022, but the amount of the fourth installment was returned to my account by PNB company after some time.

“When I informed the said manager about this, he said that amount was returned due to delay in depositing the fourth installment. Now the installment would be deposited only after the medical examination of the policyholder,” he said.

“In this sequence, the said manager came with a man who he claimed to be a medical expert to my legislative Assembly secretariat room and examined me in the presence of my PRO, PSO and two MLAs. Later, I gave him the fourth installment through a bank draft, but even after four months of giving the draft, I have not received the receipt despite approaching the said manager several times,” said the former minister in his FIR.

He said that when he went to the office of PNB Met Life, the officer there informed him that the fourth installment is not showing in the records and that the company has cancelled the policy citing health reasons.

“The said manager cheated and betrayed me through forged documents,” said the former minister in his FIR.