Bihar: ED files charge sheet against six accused into Rs 1.29 crore PNB fraud

Patna, Oct 8 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) Patna Zonal Office has filed a charge sheet before the Special PMLA Court in Patna against six individuals in connection with an alleged money laundering case linked to a bank fraud involving the Punjab National Bank (PNB) in Muzaffarpur.

The charge sheet was filed on September 29, 2026, seeking the conviction of Md. Zafar Eqbal, Nitesh Kumar Singh, Santosh Anand, Rajesh Kumar, Manjay Kumar Singh and Kundan Kumar.

According to the ED, the investigation was initiated on the basis of two FIRs registered by the Bihar Police under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, relating to allegations of cheating and forgery.

The agency alleged that Zafar Eqbal and his aides siphoned off around Rs 1.29 crore from the bank accounts of victims with the alleged assistance of Nitesh Kumar Singh, an official of Punjab National Bank.

The ED alleged that the accused used SIM-swapping to facilitate the fraudulent transactions.

According to the agency, the method prevented account holders from receiving transaction alerts on their registered mobile numbers, allowing the unauthorised transfers to go undetected.

The ED had earlier conducted search operations at four locations linked to the accused on December 11, 2025.

According to the agency, the searches led to the identification and freezing of proceeds of crime amounting to around Rs 83 lakh held in four bank accounts.

The ED’s investigation allegedly found that funds were siphoned from savings accounts maintained at the PNB branch in Muzaffarpur and transferred to mule accounts located in different cities.

According to the ED, the allegedly diverted funds were subsequently routed back to the personal bank accounts of Zafar Eqbal and his proprietorship firm.

The agency alleged that the funds were transferred through hawala channels as well as through cash deposits made via ATMs at different locations.

The money was subsequently allegedly distributed among the accused persons.

The ED said the charge sheet has been filed after an investigation into the alleged money laundering activities.

Further investigation into the case is underway.

–IANS

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