Kozhikode: The Crime Branch has confirmed that the former branch manager of the Punjab National Bank, M P Rijil, had swindled Rs 12.68 crore from different accounts. Of this, Rs 12.60 crore was from eight accounts of the city corporation. Though Rs 21.29 crore was ripped off from 17 accounts of individuals and establishments, in addition to the corporation accounts, the entire amount has not been lost. It has been found that money was transferred from some accounts to other accounts.

A Crime Branch team visited the Link Road branch of the bank and scrutinised the records on Monday. The investigation conducted under the leadership of Crime Branch Assistant Commissioner TA Antony, and sub-inspectors C Shaiju, and PK Abbas, lasted hours.

The money lost by the Corporation was assessed by tallying the bank’s audit report and the details obtained from the corporation’s accounts section. The Crime Branch team had summoned to the bank officials including the corporation's additional secretary.

The bank has returned Rs 2.53 crore of the money lost. The Corporation is yet to get Rs 10.07 crore and the interest accruing on it. Authorities of the bank informed the Crime Branch team that a process had been set in motion to return the money lost from different accounts.

The task before the Crime Branch team now is to find the trail of money spent by Rijil, recover the amounts, and arrest him.

The sessions court will pronounce its verdict on Thursday on the anticipatory bail moved by Rijil.

The former banker has alleged in the bail petition that higher officials in the corporation and the bank had a hand in the conspiracy to perpetrate the fraud.