Bank Cashier Embezzles Rs 1.15 Cr From Depositors’ Accounts In Odisha’s Cuttack

Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offence wing (EOW) of Odisha Crime Branch has registered a cheating case against a bank cashier accused of misappropriating Rs 1.15 crore deposits of customers, including over Rs 50 lakh of some women self-help groups (SHGs) in Cuttack district.

In the complaint lodged, the regional rural bank alleged that Bansidhar Majhi (27), who was posted as office assistant (multipurpose) and assigned the job of teller, embezzled around Rs 1.15 crore deposited by customers during his tenures at Pahanga branch from May 2021 to May 2022 and at Binishpur branch from May 20, 2022, to May 23.

He allegedly did deposit the cash received in their accounts. Though he issued them counterfoils, the deposit details in the bank’s core banking system were not updated. He manually updated passbooks of depositors and truck down their contact numbers registered with the bank to prevent customers from getting alerts about deposits on phones.

The bank conducted an inquiry when some customers found low balance in their accounts in April last year and found serious irregularities. Majhi, who was placed under suspension in May 2022, fraudulently stole cash through online transfer from the accounts of many customers to his own and also transferred money to the accounts of his friends and relatives, TOI quoted an official as saying.

Raids are being conducted to nab Majhi, who is on the run.