Pilibhit. A bank manager and several staff members have been booked in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit district for allegedly siphoning off more than ₹4.15 crore from a rice miller’s cash credit account through forged cheque transactions. The complaint alleges that blank cheque images shared over WhatsApp were misused to process unauthorized withdrawals from the account.
Blank Cheque Images Allegedly Shared on WhatsApp
According to the complaint filed by Mohammad Jishan, a rice mill owner from KGN Colony, he maintained a ₹10 crore cash credit account for his business on Majhola-Deoni Dam Road. He alleged that in 2014, the bank manager persuaded him to shift his account to the bank with an assurance that the credit limit would be increased.
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The complainant stated that the limit was later raised to ₹15 crore without proper procedural clearance. He further alleged that the manager asked him to share images of unsigned cheques on WhatsApp, citing operational convenience and faster processing of credit facilities.
Unauthorized Withdrawals Cross ₹4.15 Crore
Between May 2025 and January 2026, the complainant said he shared images of around 20 blank cheques ranging from ₹4 lakh to ₹50 lakh, along with two additional high-value cheque images later in January. Soon after, funds allegedly began getting debited from the account against these cheques without authorization.
The account holder noticed irregular transactions while reconciling bank records with issued cheques. He alleged that the withdrawals were made without his consent and without valid physical cheque submission, indicating misuse of digitally shared cheque images.
Police Probe Role of Bank Officials
Police officials said a case has been registered under provisions related to criminal breach of trust, forgery of valuable documents and using forged documents as genuine. Investigators are verifying the role of bank officials and tracing the flow of funds.
Preliminary findings suggest that procedural gaps in cheque verification and internal authorization systems may have been exploited. Authorities are also examining whether multiple staff members helped facilitate unauthorized transactions over an extended period.
Investigators are analysing banking logs, transaction trails and communication records to determine how the withdrawals were approved and whether security protocols were deliberately bypassed. Further investigation is underway, and additional names may emerge as financial records and digital evidence are examined.
