Bank clerk transferred Rs 70 lakh of customers' money in Odisha, arrested

Police on Thursday arrested a bank clerk in Odisha’s Ganjam district for allegedly misappropriating around Rs 70 lakh customer accounts, officials said.

The accused, posted at a bank branch in Digapahandi, allegedly siphoned off funds from customers' accounts to other suspicious accounts without the knowledge of account holders during the last five to six months, police added.

Police registered a case against the accused at Digapahandi police station after the bank branch manager lodged an FIR on Wednesday.

The misappropriation came to the notice of the branch manager following an internal audit of the bank.

Several customers also lodged complaints about their money getting debited without their knowledge, Prasant Kumar Patra, inspector-in-charge (IIC), Digapahandi, said.

The actual amount and the number of customers who lost money will be known only after thorough verification, he said.

The accused was posted in the branch in July last year. He was also acting as assistant branch manager in the absence of the branch manager.