Bhubaneswar, March 8 (IANS) The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha Police has arrested a former banker in Chhattisgarh capital Raipur in connection with a Rs 3.70 crore bank fraud case, an official said on Thursday.

The accused individual was identified as Tanmay Kumar Maharana, ex-Asset Officer, IDBI Bank's Dandamukundapur Branch, Pipili in Puri district.

He was last posted as the Assistant Manager before his suspension.

Following his arrest, Maharana was presented at a Raipur court and then brought to Odisha on transit remand.

He was later presented at a court in Cuttack on Thursday, EOW sources said.

He was arrested based on a complaint filed by Sandeep Patnaik, General Manager, IDBI Bank, Bhubaneswar.

Patnaik said in his complaint that Maharana in connivance with the then manager of IDBI's Dandamukundapur Branch, Sarojkanta Mohapatra, had illegally sanctioned 35 fictitious loans to the tune of Rs 3.70 crore, mostly in favour of their close relatives and acquaintances.

The fraudulent activities came to the fore in 2022.

A probe eventually revealed that Mohapatra and Maharana, the respective ex-Branch Manager and ex-Asset Officer of the particular branch, had fraudulently sanctioned 35 fictitious loans amounting Rs 10 lakh each in the name of their close relatives /acquaintances.