London: An Indian-origin couple killed themselves after a court case involving the woman, who was allegedly found stealing 120,000 pounds from HSBC customers.
Senior HSBC clerk Bindi Dhanji, 31, disappeared from the southwark Crown Court on Tuesday after meeting with her lawyers.
She has been found dead with her husband Kishore. Their bodies were found hanging from a footbridge near their London home.
Dhanji and Kishore met legal team before sentencing on Tuesday morning, but the pair fled before her case was heard.
Explaining her disappearance to the court on Tuesday her lawyer, Richard Parry, said: "She clearly seems to have panicked. She seemed to be, I thought, fairly stoical about
the outcome. Her husband took a different view, he seemed to place too much reliance on the pre-sentence report."
Judge Anthony Pitts then issued a bench warrant for Dhanji's arrest, saying: "It does seem like she has taken flight at first glance, I must confess, from what you have
told me. It's not unknown, but it is a slightly unusual situation given that she was here this morning."
In May 2009, she confessed to stealing from the customers but claimed a man she was not prepared to name had threatened her with violence unless she handed him cash.
Dhanji said she targeted pensioners because she thought their bank accounts would not be properly checked.
HSBC later reimbursed the accounts of victims. Appealing for her return before discovering she was dead, Detective Constable Malcolm Jolly, of City of London
Police, said Dhanji abused a position of trust to steal from two elderly and vulnerable women.
A post-mortem into the deaths is due to take place on Friday.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The bodies were hanging from a footbridge. Officers believe they know the identity of the deceased and next of kin have been informed,
but await formal identification. This has now been referred to the Coroner."
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