Godhra, June 11: Administrator of the crisis-ridden Panchamahal District Co-operative Bank (PDCB) has registered a complaint against Gujarat Minister of State for Cow Protection Prabhatsinh Chauhan and 28 others, alleging their involvement in embezzlement of Rs 124 crore in the bank. According to PDCB sources, the bank administrator H J Mehta, in his complaint lodged at Fatehpura police station, alleged that the accused had wrongly advanced nearly Rs 124 crore to two co-operative societies.

Other accused include former chairman of the bank and former BJP MP Gopalsinh Solanki, former Congress MLA from Godhra, Rajendra Patel, BJP MLA from Zalod Bhura Katara, former bank manager Jayanti Joshi and another bank official Gunvantsinh Thakore, the sources added.

The PDCB was the first district cooperative bank to close its shutters after it withdrew from RBI's clearing house citing "liquidity" crisis as the reason, in April.

The RBI had clamped a ceiling of Rs 1000 on withdrawals by invoking Section 35 (a) of Co-operative Act.

The accused, it is alleged, were instrumental in "wrongly" advancing Rs 82 crore to Sukhsar Co-operative Society and Rs 42 crore to Nani Bhuvedi Co-operative Society.

The Gujarat government, on May 12, had appointed an administrator to the bank, which has 38 branches in the Panchamahals and Dahod districts.

Bureau Report