Surat: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Surat city police has arrested four bank officials and a mobile SIM card distributor in connection with an alleged ₹5.75 crore land fraud case, in which fake bank accounts were reportedly opened in the names of landowners who were residing in Canada at the time.

According to police, the accused allegedly opened bogus accounts in Yes Bank and IDBI Bank to divert funds received from a land transaction. The arrests were made during an investigation into suspected cheating and forgery linked to a land deal in Kathor village.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Karanraj Vaghela said the prime accused, land broker Ravi Koladiya, had convinced complainant Piyush Saspara that he had the authority to sell a parcel of land in Kathor village owned by Salim Ibrahim Sidat, Faridabibi, and Khatija Vora.

To gain Saspara’s trust, Koladiya allegedly told him that the transaction amount had to be deposited directly into the landowners’ bank accounts. Based on this assurance, an agreement to sell was reportedly executed.

Police alleged that Koladiya used forged identity documents to open fake accounts in the names of the landowners at Yes Bank’s Ankleshwar branch and IDBI Bank’s Ghod Dod Road branch, both of which were allegedly controlled by him.

Three Yes Bank employees Sandip Piludariya, Azad Pathan, and Shivani Patel have been arrested for allegedly assisting in opening the fraudulent accounts. Investigators said nearly ₹4.81 crore from the proposed land deal was deposited into these accounts.

Koladiya allegedly withdrew ₹2.8 crore from the Yes Bank accounts and also collected ₹94 lakh in cash from Saspara. While some funds were reportedly transferred to the landowners, police said the entire amount was not handed over.

Investigators further alleged that Koladiya opened two more fake accounts at IDBI Bank with the assistance of arrested banker Yagnik Vaghasiya, through which another ₹2.95 crore was routed.

Despite receiving payments, no sale deed was executed in Saspara’s favour, and Koladiya later went absconding, police said.

As the bank accounts required linked mobile numbers, Koladiya allegedly procured SIM cards through Vodafone-Idea distributor Sanjay Dhandhukiya, who has also been arrested in the case. DeshGujarat