Kathmandu. There was silence at the Citizens Bank branch at Rajbanshi Chowk in Biratnagar on Wednesday. People were just confused. Those who came were just asking if their money was safe or not. The people of Morang, who had heard the news of various types of scams in Citizens Bank from time to time, were suspicious of the news of a bank scam in their own area this time. Moreover, there was panic among the depositors after the news of misuse of ‘fixed deposit’ money by the employees. Everyone who came to the bank was asking what was the status of their money. This time, the depositors were suspicious due to the news of embezzlement of Rs 4.91 crore of the bank.

Before we reached the bank branch, there was talk of a scam in the bank. Someone was saying, “There is a scam in this bank, just some time ago, millions of rupees of a company called F1Soft disappeared from the bank.” Some were thinking, “Who will trust now that the bank is unsafe?” He was teaching the locals how to transfer money to another local mobile. In the discussions, some were gossiping that ‘now when Balen’s government comes, hundreds of those who do this will go to jail’.

After hearing about the chowk, we went to the bank’s branch. Branch Manager Durga Karki came to the bank gate as soon as he came to know that a financial team had arrived. “We can’t say anything,” he said, looking frustrated. He argued that they could not comment as the incident took place in the police station and there was a direct directive from the central office not to speak to the media. “Narayan Raj Adhikari is our information officer. Saying this, he turned away.

Except for some official information about the incident, the bank did not give any information. Information Officer of the bank, Narayan Raj Adhikari, said that the bank has approached the police with the case of embezzlement of money from the bank and the police are investigating. Morang Police Chief SP Kabit Katawal said that the bank’s audit report is being studied and legal process will be initiated against all those found guilty.

We were digging out more facts about the incident. In the meantime, we came in contact with an employee of the bank. He was saying, “One person did it, everyone was punished. He then opened up about the incident to us. “I am a regular reader of Arthaskar, please protect my privacy. “He told us about the incident.

According to him, the mischief that has come out in the bank now was not new. “There are scams in banks. A lot of work is done because it can’t be done. Although the incident took place under the leadership of Rosie Kandel, who works in the bank, the people who taught her to do this are outsiders. Maybe after his arrest, the police will dig into all this in the investigation. Even if it seems that the employees of the bank are guilty, the people who teach such wrongdoing and use the money are from outside the bank. “, he said while talking to Artha Sarokar.

What’s the point of ?

The incident happened 2 months ago. While the bank was presenting the ‘Bank of the Year Award’ in London, the scam in the bank was coming to the surface. For the second time in a row, the bank was praising the award for being the best among the banks of Nepal by reaching London at its own expense, while the bank was shaken by the scam of crores of rupees in the bank’s branch ।

https://arthasarokar. com/2026/03/strange-coincidence-citizens-misappropriates-rs-3-crore-for-winning-bank-of-the-year-award-for-the-first-time-rs-5-crore-for-the-second-time. html

According to the bank’s employees, Rosie Kandel, the operation in-charge of the bank, used to create fake loan files and withdraw money by pledging the fixed deposit amount of the depositors. Depositors can take out loans by considering the amount kept in the fixed deposit as collateral. But Rosie, without the depositor’s permission, would file a loan against the deposit and withdraw money. When depositors came to deposit money in the bank, she used to take care of the necessary documents. Fixed deposits are kept for a certain period of time. Giving an example, the employee said, “Suppose someone brings a fixed deposit for 1 year. She (Rosie Kandel) used to set up a loan file, withdraw money and use it as collateral. When it’s about a year, she’ll repay the amount.

After keeping the money for a year, the depositor did not even know about anything other than money and interest. When the bank looked at it, it was seen that the depositor first put the money in the fixed deposit, then took a loan on it and repaid it on time. The money user also got the money easily, there was no more hassle to get a loan than paying the interest.

Kandel was working as an assistant at the bank’s Salakpur branch office in Sundarharaicha when the case came to light. Kandel, 35, had been transferred to Salakpur branch in November last year. The case came to light soon after he was transferred.

When the money given by Rosie did not come on time, and because the money was kept in a fixed deposit, he came to know that the loan he had not taken was being used and informed the bank, then Rosie’s mischief came to the surface.

After the central office of the bank was also informed about the incident, the employees of the internal audit department of the bank went and inquired about the matter. Rosie’s mischief could not be hidden.

According to the report prepared by the bank, Rosy Kandel’s user ID number 2274 has caused a lot of such mischief. Not only him, the user ID of Joseph Acharya, the user ID of Sonika Raut is 87 and the user ID of the then branch manager of the bank Abhishek Agrawal is also used to create fake files. However, there is a dispute about whether Kandel’s ID was used by Kandel or colluded with others. Police said they are investigating the matter. Not only Kandel, the bank has also suspended 9 employees of the bank for investigation into this misconduct. Those found guilty will be liable to legal punishment while the rest will have the option of leaving the bank or staying employed.

‘The bank initially approached the police, only after the money was not recovered’

According to the suspended employees of the bank, the bank did not reach the police as soon as they came to know about the scam of about Rs 5 crore. Instead, the bank’s strategy was to collect the money and settle the case inside. It was heard that the CEO had also ordered him to raise the money and ask him to resign. Accordingly, the money was recovered. The central office had directed the bank to recover the amount by dividing the amount seen as a loss. Someone brought a few lakhs of rupees and deposited them in the bank, the bank reached not only Rosy Kandel but also Rosy Kandel’s family. According to the employees, the bank had prepared the paper and asked the employees to seal the signature. It was said that the money would be paid within a certain time. It was agreed that the money would be recovered and the case would not be taken out.

The bank had sought an explanation from Kandel after it was found that the loan was issued by creating fake files. On February 25, the bank had frozen a total of 1 bigha, 12 kattha and 6 dhur land in Rangeli, Morang in the name of Roji’s father-in-law Khagendra Prasad Rijal.

Kandel’s family has mortgaged 0-14-6-0 area of Rangeli Municipality Darbesa 5 (5B) plot number 22, 0-8-7-2 of Darbesha 3 (c) plot no 467, 0-6-18-0 area of 3 (c) plot no 544 and 0-2-15-2 of Darbesha 3 (c) plot no 465. On February 1, 2002, the mortgage of these lands was registered and frozen. And the next day, on March 27, after completing the remaining process, the bank seems to have dismissed Kandel on March 12.

However, as soon as the land was frozen in the name of the bank, Kandel was asked to pay the money within 15 days. When he failed to pay the money within that time, the bank approached the police. Other employees have also deposited Rs 20 lakh each in the bank fearing arrest. Two employees, Alina Shrestha and Utsav Adhikari, have paid Rs 20 lakh each. They have also been suspended by the bank.

https://arthasarokar. com/2026/03/citizens-bank-scam-case-rs-20-lakh-collected-from-employees-on-condition-of-not-joining-police-9-suspended-only-1-suspended. html

According to the agreement between Roji’s family and the bank to take the money, the bank has frozen the land in the name of Roji’s family, but the bank has reached the police only after the amount was not recovered on time. “The bank had given a deadline. Accordingly, the paper was also made. After not paying all the money within this time, the bank approached the police. The employee of the bank told the financial concern, “Earlier, the bank had released those who got jobs by showing fake certificates saying that they should resign and not go to the police.” The central office of the bank was also in the style of ‘pay the money, leave the job’ in the scam in other branches of the bank. In many other branches too, the employees of the bank were confident that they would leave their jobs to pay the bank money if they did not know. The bank’s weak legal strategy drowned the bank when it was being urged that if I had to leave the job, I would give it a job. ‘

9 people have been suspended and the bank has sacked those who were directly involved in the mischief.

Case filed against CEO for going to the police against the agreement!

There was a paper between the bank and Rosy Kandel about the amount of money that was scammed. The land belonging to Rosie’s family was also frozen. Kandel has filed a case against the bank’s CEO Ganesh Raj Pokharel, Koshi Province Chief Diwas Singh Thakuri and branch manager Abhishek Agrawal.

https://arthasarokar. com/2026/03/citizens-bank-scam-case-filed-against-ceo-ganesh-raj-pokhrel. html

Superintendent of Police (SP) of Morang, Kabita Katuwal, said that the arrest warrant has not been issued as Kandel’s father had gone to the court before getting the arrest permit. Kandel has also named District Police Office, Morang as the defendant in the court. The case filed at the High Court, Biratnagar, has sought an interim order not to arrest Kandel immediately. The family members of the defendants have claimed that they were not allowed to read the document prepared by the bank.

Why only target jobs?

Given the nature of the incident, the user IDs of other employees have also been used. While issuing loans from banks, the core banking system is linked to the branch, state and central office. The bank has filed a complaint naming Kandel as the only defendant despite the possibility of the involvement of the branch chiefs, employees of the province and central offices. The bank, on the other hand, argues that Kandel has taken all the responsibility and has filed a complaint against him.

In the case of the Kanchanbari branch, different IDs have been used in the ‘Maker and Taker Authority’. That is, the ID of the person who created the file for the loan issuance and the ID of the loan issuer is different. However, the bank claimed that the complaint was filed against Kandel only as he has admitted that Kandel had done both the works by misusing the password. However, other employees claim that the bank has taken a line that does not investigate others by believing only Kandel’s claims. (Video)

https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=OjU_0AgC-6Y