All invest their black money in insurance: “Sub log aise hi karte hain Sir. In fact, saara jo kala paisa hota hai na sub insurance mein hi jaata hai (Yes, yes. Don’t worry, Sir. All people do like this only. In fact, all black money goes into insurance).”
It did not take long for A.G. Toppo, Senior Manager, of this branch of HDFC Bank in one of the most upscale area of Kolkata, to offer help to the visitor who wants to invest a politician’s Rs. 50 lakh black money in three names to convert it into white.
Toppo says: “Dekhiye main aapke kuchh investment mein karwa doongi, kuch FDs mein karwa doongi. Aap PAN card to doge na Sir? Wo to zaroori hai (Look, I will put some of it in investment, some in FDs. You will give your PAN card, Sir? It is necessary).”
She explains how to invest the black money: “Insurance mein kar dijiye Sir, guarantee ka hai HDFC Crest. Lekin usmein kya hota hai, usmein doh lakh se zyada kar nahin paoge aap. Hum usko diversify kar denge na, ek–do lakh mein karenge, ek doosre wale plan mein karenge, teesre wale plan mein karenge. Plan to dus hain. Wo hum karwa denge (Invest it in insurance, Sir. HDFC Crest is guaranteed. But what happens in that you will not be able to invest more than Rs. 2 lakh. So, we will diversify. We will invest in chunks of Rs. 1 or 2 lakh. We will do some in second plan, some more in the third plan. We have tens of plans. We will have it done).”
Has she handled such kinds of cash investments before? “Haan, haan… don’t worry… sub log aise hi karte hain Sir. In fact, saara jo kala paisa hota hai na sub insurance mein hi jaata hai (Yes, yes. Don’t worry, Sir. All people do like this only. In fact, all black money goes into insurance),” she says.
Could the bank help transfer Rs. 5 crore to Jordan where the politician’s wife goes often? Toppo says: “Haan to thik hai wo telegraphic transfer kar. Lekin wo kya reason hai ki wo ja raha hai bahar paisa transfer bank se ho raha hai na. Agar wo investment karenge Jordan mein yahan se, to investment kuch investment ke papers dena parega. Wo hum karwa denge. Aap befiqr ho ke jaiye. Hum sham ko aa rahe hain teen jan, teen char senior jan aa rahe hain. Hum sab kuch karwa denge (Yes, we will go for telegraphic transfer. But the reason is the money is going out through bank transfer and if he wants to invest it in Jordan then it will require some investment papers. That will be done. You can leave now throwing all worries to wind? We three–four seniors are coming to your place this evening. We will take care of everything).”
