An alleged financial fraud linked to a bank Customer Service Point (CSP) has put the savings of hundreds of villagers at risk in West Bengal’s Malda district. More than 200 men and women staged a protest on Wednesday, alleging that nearly ₹2 crore had been siphoned from their bank accounts by the operator of the CSP and his wife.
Remote Banking Outposts and Automated Biometric System Over-Withdrawals
The protesters first demonstrated outside the Indian Bank Customer Service Point at Nityanandapur in Kajigram Panchayat and later gathered at the bank’s main branch in Malda town, demanding immediate action. Account holders alleged that CSP operator Satyajit Lala and his wife Nipa Lala had been withdrawing money from customers’ accounts over a prolonged period without their knowledge.
According to the complainants, the operator allegedly misused customers’ biometric authentication during transactions. Several account holders claimed that whenever they visited the CSP to withdraw a specific amount, significantly larger sums were allegedly withdrawn from their accounts, with the excess money purportedly retained by the operator.
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Micro-Transaction Mismatches and Financial Literacy Deficits
One depositor alleged that if a customer requested a withdrawal of ₹10,000, the operator would sometimes withdraw ₹30,000 or even more from the account. The protesters claimed that customers were not informed about the actual amount withdrawn and that many account holders lacked sufficient familiarity with banking procedures to detect the discrepancies.
Other depositors alleged that biometric verification was also taken under the pretext of updating passbooks. According to them, money was allegedly withdrawn from their accounts during these procedures as well. Residents said that many affected account holders come from economically weaker backgrounds and have limited financial literacy, making it difficult for them to identify the alleged irregularities.
Simulated System Outages and Main Branch Ledger Verifications
The account holders said their suspicions grew over the past month when the CSP operator and his wife repeatedly refused withdrawal requests, citing server failures and technical issues. When several customers later contacted the bank’s main branch, they were reportedly shocked to discover that their account balances were far lower than expected.
According to the protesters, the affected individuals include families who had deposited years of savings, government assistance funds, and fixed deposit proceeds through the CSP. Several people claimed losses ranging from ₹2 lakh to ₹5 lakh or even more.
Escrow Discrepancy Audits and Public Sector Grievance Portals
A senior bank official stated that customers have been asked to submit individual written complaints detailing the amounts deposited and withdrawn through the CSP. The official said the bank would conduct a detailed inquiry after receiving the complaints.
Meanwhile, the protesters have announced plans to file police complaints against the couple. Villagers alleged that Satyajit Lala and his wife have been missing for the past two days and that both the CSP outlet and their residence were found locked. Their mobile phones are reportedly switched off, and they could not be contacted.
Electronic Payment Gateway Security and Micro-ATM Identity Safeguards
The matter is currently at a preliminary stage, and the allegations made by the depositors are yet to be independently verified. Authorities are expected to examine transaction records, customer complaints, and other evidence as part of the investigation. Local residents have demanded the recovery of the allegedly missing funds and strict action against those found responsible.
