The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has intensified its efforts against the ₹6.88 crore State Bank of India (SBI) lending scam by apprehending a significant participant in the scheme. Pradipta Kumar Lenka, hailing from Cuttack, was arrested in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. Investigators allege that he served as a middleman, connecting corrupt bank employees with unqualified borrowers. Following the money trail, it was discovered that Lenka received at least ₹3.23 lakh through direct transfers as his commission for orchestrating this extensive fraud.

Lenka’s arrest reveals how the group managed to approve 282 fraudulent “Xpress Credit Loans” without raising any suspicions between May 2022 and November 2023. He essentially operated as a document broker, gathering and distributing forged employment documents that could deceive standard banking verification processes. The network produced fake salary slips, bank statements, and credentials, presenting ordinary applicants as high-caliber professionals from reputable companies such as Tata Steel, Vedanta, TPCODL, Dhamra Port, and Aarati Steels.

His capture has opened the door to a larger conspiracy involving four insiders who are currently in judicial custody. This group consists of three female bank employees—Baishakhi Saha, Charubala Dandasena, and Sarita Paikaray—along with Smruti Ranjan Mohanty. All four were associated with various SBI branches: Patia, Damana, Fortune Tower, and Rail Vihar. These employees overlooked fraudulent KYC and job records, approving loans until the accounts ultimately defaulted and became Non-Performing Assets.

The investigation was initiated following a criminal complaint filed by SBI Regional Manager Shiba Sundar Sahoo on May 5, 2026. With Lenka now in custody and his phone undergoing forensic analysis, EOW investigators are focusing on identifying the remaining borrowers and working to recover the stolen ₹6.88 crore.