Reserve Bank of India (Rural Co-operative Banks – Fraud Risk Management) Directions, 2026

RBI/DoS/2026-27/451 DoS.CO.FMG.45/23.04.001/2026-27 July 31, 2026

Reserve Bank of India (Rural Co-operative Banks – Fraud Risk Management) Directions, 2026

Table of Contents

Chapter I - Preliminary A. Short Title and Commencement B. Applicability C. Definitions

Chapter II - Governance and Oversight A. Governance Structure for Fraud Risk Management

Chapter III - Framework for Early Warning Signals for Detection of Frauds A. Governance Structure B. Early Warning Signal Framework for Credit Facilities / Loan Accounts C. Early Warning Signal Framework for Other Banking / Non-Credit Related Transactions

Chapter IV - General Instructions A. Credit facility / Loan account / Other banking transactions - Indication of fraudulent activities B. Independent Confirmation from Third-party Service Providers including Professionals C. Staff Accountability D. Penal Measures E. Treatment of Accounts under Resolution

Chapter V - Reporting of Frauds to Law Enforcement Agencies

Chapter VI - Reporting to National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development A. Reporting of Incidents of Fraud

Chapter VII - Cheque Related Frauds - Reporting to Law Enforcement Agencies and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development

Chapter VIII - Other Instructions A. Legal Audit of Title Documents in respect of Large Value Loan Accounts B. Treatment of Accounts classified as Fraud and sold to other Lenders / Asset Reconstruction Companies C. Role of Auditors

Chapter IX - Reporting Cases of Theft, Burglary, Dacoity and Robbery

Chapter X - Repeal and Other Provisions A. Repeal and Saving B. Application of Other Laws not barred C. Interpretations

Introduction

These Directions are issued with a view to providing a framework for prevention, early detection, and timely reporting of incidents of fraud by Rural Co-operative Banks to Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and dissemination of information by NABARD and matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 21 and Section 35-A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, and all other provisions / laws enabling RBI in this regard, RBI being satisfied that it is necessary and expedient in public interest so to do, hereby issues these Directions hereinafter specified.

Chapter I - Preliminary

A. Short Title and Commencement

1. These Directions shall be called the Reserve Bank of India (Rural Co-operative Banks - Fraud Risk Management) Directions, 2026.

2. These Directions shall come into effect immediately upon issuance.

B. Applicability

3. These Directions shall be applicable to Rural Cooperative Banks (hereinafter collectively referred to as 'RCBs' and individually as 'RCB').

For the purpose of these Directions, ‘Rural Co-operative Banks’ shall mean State Co-operative Banks and Central Co-operative Banks, as defined in the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act, 1981.

C. Definitions

4. In these Directions, unless the context states otherwise, the terms herein shall bear the meaning assigned to them below:

• (1) ‘Date of Classification’, for the purpose of reporting, is the date when due approval from the competent authority has been obtained for such classification, and the reasoned order is passed.
• (2) ‘Date of Detection’ to be reported is the actual date when the fraud came to light in the concerned branch / audit / department of the RCB, as the case may be, and not the date of approval by the competent authority of the RCB.
• (3) ‘Date of Occurrence’, for the purpose of reporting, is the date when the actual misappropriation of funds has started taking place, or the event occurred, as evidenced / reported in the audit or other findings.

Chapter II - Governance and Oversight

A. Governance Structure for Fraud Risk Management

5. RCB shall put in place a Board approved policy on Fraud Risk Management delineating roles and responsibilities of Board / Board Committees and Senior Management of the RCB. The policy shall inter alia contain measures towards prevention, early detection, investigation, staff accountability, monitoring, recovery, and reporting of frauds.

In this context, ‘Board’ will refer to ‘Board of Directors’ of the RCB.

6. The policy shall also incorporate measures for ensuring compliance with principles of natural justice 1 in a time-bound manner, which at a minimum, shall include:

• (1) Issuance of a detailed Show Cause Notice (SCN) to the Persons (including Third Party Service Providers and Professionals, inter-alia, architects, valuers, chartered accountants, advocates and other professionals / service providers), Entities and their Promoters / Whole Time Directors (WTDs) and Executive Directors against whom allegation of fraud is being examined. The SCN shall provide complete details of transactions / actions / events basis which declaration and reporting of a fraud is being contemplated under these Directions. As non-Whole Time Directors (like nominee directors and independent directors) are normally not in charge of, or responsible to the company for the conduct of business of the company, the RCB may take this into consideration before proceeding against such directors under these Directions.
• (2) RCB shall provide a reasonable time of not less than 21 days to the Persons / Entities on whom the SCN was served to respond to the said SCN.
• (3) RCB shall have a well laid out system for issuance of SCN and examination of the responses / submissions made by the Persons / Entities prior to declaring such Persons / Entities as fraudulent.
• (4) RCB shall serve a reasoned Order on the Persons / Entities conveying its decision regarding declaration / classification of the account as fraud or otherwise. Such Order(s) must contain relevant facts / circumstances relied upon, the submission made against the SCN and the reasons for classification as fraud or otherwise.

Explanation: The requirement of ensuring compliance to the principles of natural justice is applicable to all Persons / Entities and their Promoters / WTDs and Executive Directors classified as fraud by the RCB. In other words, this requirement is applicable in all cases of fraud classification which may have civil consequences (i.e., penal measures, caution listing) as observed in the Judgement of the Hon’ble Supreme Court dated March 27, 2023 (Civil Appeal No. 7300 of 2022 in the matter of State Bank of India & Ors. Vs. Rajesh Agarwal & Ors.).

7. The Board shall review the Fraud Risk Management policy at least once in three years, or more frequently, as may be prescribed by the Board.

8. Special Committee of the Board for Monitoring and Follow-up of cases of Frauds:

• (1) The RCB shall constitute a Committee of the Board to be known as ‘Special Committee of the Board for Monitoring and Follow-up of cases of Frauds’ (SCBMF) with a minimum of three members of the Board, consisting of the Chief Executive Officer and two directors, i.e., directors with suitable banking experience or with relevant professional qualification in the fields of law, accountancy or finance. The Committee shall be headed by one of the directors. The RCB having deposits below ₹1000 crore, shall have the option of constituting a Committee of the Executives (CoE) with a minimum of three members, at least one of whom shall be the Chief Executive Officer for the purpose of performing the roles and responsibilities of SCBMF as required under these Directions. For this purpose, the deposits of RCBs shall be reckoned as per audited balance sheet as on 31st March of the immediate preceding Financial Year.
• (2) SCBMF shall oversee the effectiveness of the Fraud Risk Management in the RCB. SCBMF shall review and monitor cases of frauds, including root cause analysis, and suggest mitigating measures for strengthening the internal controls, risk management framework and minimising the incidence of frauds. The Board of the RCB shall decide the coverage and periodicity of such reviews. The coverage may include, among others, categories / trends of frauds, industry / sectoral / geographical concentration of frauds, delay in detection / classification of frauds and delay in examination / conclusion of staff accountability.
• (3) The Board of the RCB shall decide the threshold amount of fraud cases to be placed before the SCBMF / CoE, after duly taking into account the scale and complexity of its operations.

9. The Senior Management shall be responsible for implementation of the fraud risk management policy approved by the Board of the RCB. The Senior Management of the RCB shall also place a periodic review of incidents of fraud before Board / Audit Committee of Board (ACB), as appropriate.

10. The RCB shall put in place a transparent mechanism to ensure that Whistle Blower complaints on possible fraud cases / suspicious activities in account(s) are examined and concluded appropriately under its Whistle Blower Policy.

11. The RCB shall set-up an appropriate organisational structure for institutionalisation of fraud risk management within its overall risk management functions / department. Fraud Risk Management includes prevention, early detection, investigation, staff accountability, monitoring, recovery, analysis, reporting of frauds and other related aspects under the Board approved policy. A sufficiently senior official shall be responsible for monitoring and reporting of frauds.