Over ₹85 Lakh Allegedly Embezzled from Bank Accounts in Odisha’s Kendrapada; Peon Held

Kendrapada: In a shocking incident in Odisha’s Kendrapada district, over Rs 85 lakh has reportedly been withdrawn from the bank accounts of at least six customers without their knowledge. The unauthorized transactions were discovered when Surendra Naik, a customer from Bandha Sahi Bilikana village, filed a complaint with the police on January 20.

Naik alleged that the withdrawals were made using forged signatures and cheques, pointing fingers at the involvement of bank officials. The police have taken bank peon Satyananda Ghadei into custody, and a case has been registered based on Naik’s complaint. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Customers of the Indian Bank branch in Singiri Baazar, Aul, have raised serious concerns about the bank staff’s actions. One victim, Sasikala Mahalik, revealed that she discovered the fraudulent activities only after updating her passbook. According to Mahalik, bank staff would take customers’ passbooks, claiming issues with the print machine, and allegedly use them for unauthorized transactions, keeping the accountholders in the dark.

The branch manager has acknowledged the embezzlement of funds and assured that a departmental inquiry is underway to investigate the entire episode. The affected account holders expressed frustration at the lack of information and transparency regarding the unauthorized withdrawals.