The bank authorities in Kuwait who are pursuing cases of massive loan default by Kerala health care professionals said that all the defaulters maintained a good track record of repaying loans. "All of them repaid loans promptly earlier. We blindly trusted them and that's why we were shocked," a bank official who didn't want to be named told Onmanorama from Kuwait.

It is learnt the loans were defaulted starting in 2019. "Initially, we gave small amounts, which they repaid. Other banks also started giving loans. It was like a competition of sorts. The loan amount also increased," the official said. One of the persons against whom a case was filed has contacted the bank and said that the dues would be cleared. The bank authorities said that no other defaulters have contacted them. 95 per cent of defaulters are from Kerala while a few people are from other states.

As per the First information reports registered in police stations in Kottayam and Ernakulam, the default amount ranges between Rs 63 lakhs - Rs 1.2 crores. Till now, one bank, Gulf Bank, has filed the complaint. The authorities have collected the address, passport details and other relevant personal information of the defaulters. According to the complaint, the defaulters were employed with the Ministry of Health (Kuwait) and produced their salary certificates to obtain the loan from the Gulf Bank, Kuwait. Nurses employed in other hospitals in Kuwait have also been accused of cheating the bank.

The authorities allege that the loan amount was transferred to India and was disbursed to different accounts of other people. The loan was disbursed based on the assurance that the amount could be deducted from salary and that they would continue their job in Kuwait till the completion of the loan tenure. It was also alleged that the loan amount was not spent for the purpose they had stated in the loan application.

The complaint was filed against ten persons by the Gulf bank official Mohammad Abdul Vassey Kamran with the Additional Director General of Police ( Law&Order). Ten FIRs have been registered following the complaint. "We understand that some have not resigned from jobs in Kuwait. They took leave, came home as Kuwait government staff and never returned. Agents secured loans for them based on salary certificate," said Thomas J Anakkallunkal, the advocate associated with the Gulf Bank