A Punjab National Bank branch in Greater Noida is facing an investigation after account holders who received compensation for land acquired for Noida Airport alleged that crores of rupees had disappeared from their accounts and fixed deposits. More than 20 customers have approached the police, while the bank’s earlier staff members have reportedly been suspended and removed from the branch.
The complaints relate to the PNB branch in Sector Pi 1, where concerns surfaced after two customers reported that money was missing from their accounts on Saturday, according to Live Hindustan. Customers said that when some account holders visited the branch on Monday, they faced difficulty obtaining information about their accounts. The issue escalated on Tuesday when a larger group gathered at the branch and confronted bank staff.
The report said that customers then learned that the branch had been staffed by new employees. During discussions about the accounts, account holders were allegedly informed that money had been transferred out of several accounts. Customers created a disturbance and approached the police. They also said that the branch’s previous employees and a security guard had been removed. A demonstration by bank employees was announced for Wednesday.
The allegations involve more than 50 account holders and several crores of rupees. The customers said the money had been deposited after they received compensation for giving land for the Noida Airport project. They also alleged that bank employees had disabled SMS alerts on their mobile phones, preventing them from receiving timely notifications about transactions.
Individual account holders cited in the report described losses from fixed deposits and savings accounts. Atendra, a resident of Kyampur, said that his fixed deposit of Rs 15 lakh had been broken without his knowledge and the money transferred to another person’s account. Sanjay said that his Rs 10 lakh fixed deposit had disappeared, even though it was present when he checked his account around 10 to 15 days earlier. Hanif of Biraudi said that approximately Rs 39 lakh was missing from his account.
The allegations have not been established by an adjudicating authority. Police and the bank’s anti-corruption wing are investigating the matter. Beta 2 police station officer Vinod Kumar said an inquiry had begun based on complaints from more than 20 account holders. The report also said that a woman account holder fell ill during the dispute and was admitted to hospital.
The bank’s lead district manager, also identified as Vinod Kumar, said he had not received information from the bank or account holders at that point. He advised affected customers to submit complaints to the district administration and the lead bank so that the matter could be investigated and the money recovered. He said cases involving alleged embezzlement of more than Rs 5 crore are investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The next steps will depend on the findings of the police and banking investigations.
