The Mumbai police Economic Offences Wing (EOW), probing the Rs 122-crore New India Cooperative Bank scam, will subject main accused Hitesh Mehta to brain mapping test as they could not gather much information from the the polygraph test on the bank’s former general manager.
Confirming the development, an EOW officer said that the test would be performed soon by the Kalina Forensic Laboratory after following due procedure.
On March 11, the polygraph test, also known as lie detector test, was conducted on Mehta by experts at the Kalina forensic lab as he allegedly kept changing his statements regarding the money transactions during questioning and did not cooperate with the probe.
The result of the test had showed he was deceptive throughout the scientific test and much information could not be extracted from him to give investigation a new direction. “Hence, it has been decided to subject him to brain mapping test with an hope to extract more key information,” the EOW officer said.
‘Funds pumped into electronic business in Bihar’
Meanwhile, the EOW has probe has found that some part of the embezzled funds were invested into an electronic business in Bihar. An EOW officer said that from the investigations of Javed Azam, 48, who was recently arrested in the case, it has been revealed that out of the Rs 18 crore he allegedly received from another key accused Arunachalam Ullahanathan Maruthuvar, Rs 15 crore he had invested in setting up a chain of 11 stores of electronic items under the name ‘Digital Duniya’, in Bihar. EOW may seize these stores, another officer said.
Azam, who is an electrical dealer, is the brother of BJP leader Haider Azam and is the eighth accused to be arrested in the case.
According to EOW, Mehta had been allegedly stealing money from the bank’s safe from 2019 to 2025 and handed it over to his two close accomplices—Dharmesh Paun and Ullahanathan —who helped misappropriate the funds.
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The police said that after the fraud was discovered during an RBI inspection at the bank’s Prabhadevi and Goregaon branches on February 12, Mehta confessed to the crime and revealed the roles of other accused persons.
The other accused arrested in the case are the bank’s former CEO Ambhimanyu Bhoan, Ullahanathan’s son Manohar, and Kapil Dedhia.
Former bank chairman Hiren Bhanu and his wife and vice-chairperson Gauri Bhanu, who are abroad, are wanted in the case.
Blue corner notice likely against Bhanu couple
A blue corner notice may soon be issued against Bhanu couple as EOW has made request with the central agency concerned.
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A city court has also issued non-bailable warrant against the couple. However, they have written a letter to Mumbai EOW chief seeking to join the probe through video conferencing and have also claimed that they are nowhere involved in the embezzlement of Rs 122 crore.
Bhanu has claimed in the complaint letter that on February 12 when the RBI was carrying out a check at the bank, Mehta had disappeared and later admitted before Bhanu that how he embezzled funds in the past. EOW officer said that they looking into the complaint made by Bhanu couple.