Female Branch Manager of Canara Bank arrested by CBI, Agency says she’s involved in opening Mule Accounts

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh: Banks in Varanasi were left shocked on Wednesday afternoon after a CBI team arrived and arrested a bank manager in connection with a major cyber fraud case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Shalini Singh, the Branch Manager of Canara Bank’s Chitaipur branch, for her alleged role in opening mule accounts that were used in cyber fraud linked to a case registered in Delhi.

After her arrest, Shalini Singh was produced in court late in the evening under tight security. She was presented before Special Judge Ravindra Kumar Srivastava, who granted transit remand till 12 noon on December 26. She will now be produced before the concerned court in Delhi within the given time.

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The CBI registered this cyber fraud case on April 15, 2025 in Delhi. During the investigation, it was found that cyber criminals were cheating people through online advertisements. Victims were trapped and made to transfer money.

The investigation revealed that employees of several public and private banks were involved in helping cyber criminals. The role of the Canara Bank branch manager in Varanasi was also established, following which the CBI team came to the city and made the arrest.

According to the CBI, fake bank accounts worth around ₹85 lakh were opened across 743 branches of different banks across the country. These accounts were used to move money received from cyber fraud victims.

The agency told the court that proper customer verification was not done while opening these accounts. Many accounts showed suspicious transactions and are now under detailed investigation.

The CBI also revealed that bank officials helped cyber fraudsters by opening and operating these fake accounts. Bank employees allegedly assisted in withdrawing money from victims’ accounts and transferring it through mule accounts. Intermediaries were also involved and worked in collusion with bank staff.

The investigation is still ongoing, and the role of other bank officials is being examined. This case has raised serious questions about bank security, customer verification, and internal controls, and has sent a strong message that action will be taken against anyone found helping cyber criminals.