A fugitive assistant bank manager accused of siphoning Rs 36.20 lakh from a nationalised bank ATM in Agartala was arrested in Shillong after evading police for six years while allegedly living under a false identity.
Six years after allegedly embezzling more than Rs 36 lakh from a nationalised bank in Agartala, a former assistant branch manager was finally arrested from a hideout in Shillong, police officials said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Mark Debbarma, had been absconding ever since a criminal case was registered against him following an internal audit conducted by the bank. According to police, the audit reportedly uncovered a shortage of Rs 36 lakh 20 thousand from the bank’s accounts, triggering suspicion of large-scale financial irregularities linked to ATM cash handling.
Police sources said Debbarma was serving as the assistant branch manager of the bank at the time of the alleged offence. He had reportedly been entrusted with the responsibility of refilling cash in an ATM located in the Gurkhabasti area of Agartala. During the course of his duty, he allegedly siphoned off substantial amounts of money over a period of time.
An FIR was later lodged by the branch manager of the Indian Bank after the discrepancies surfaced during the internal financial review. The complaint specifically named Debbarma as the prime accused in the case.
“After the FIR was registered, the accused disappeared and remained untraceable for the last six years,” an official from the New Capital Complex police station said.
Investigators recently received fresh inputs regarding the fugitive’s whereabouts in Shillong. Police claimed that he had been living there under a different identity in an attempt to avoid arrest and escape legal action.
Acting on the information, a police team led by Sub-Inspectors Rahul Das and Kabir Hossain travelled to Shillong and coordinated with local police authorities. After tracking his movements, the team successfully apprehended the accused and secured a transit remand to bring him back to Agartala.
Following his arrival in the city, Debbarma was produced before a local court. Police sought a five-day remand for custodial interrogation, which was granted by the court.
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“He is currently being interrogated in police custody to ascertain further details related to the alleged embezzlement and whether anyone else was involved,” the police official added.
The case has once again raised concerns over financial monitoring systems and internal accountability mechanisms in banking institutions.
