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A routine bank transaction turned into a costly mistake for the University of Kerala after a currency-input error led to a loss of nearly ₹16.5 lakh — now being counted as one of the institution’s most expensive clerical blunders in recent years.
The university’s Centre for Latin American Studies was supposed to pay ₹20,000 as honorarium to a Brazil-based journalist for four online lectures delivered in 2023. But while processing the payment at the SBI Tejaswini branch (Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram), the clerk accidentally entered the dollar symbol instead of rupees — sending out a transfer of $20,000 instead.
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Money landed in lecturer’s wife’s account
The entire amount reached the bank account of the lecturer’s wife, Kathleen Martinic, spouse of Milan Sime Martinic.
The transfer was completed on June 15, 2023, and the mistake went unnoticed for months.
It was only in 2024 that university officials were alerted — and recovery efforts began.
Promise made — but refund never came
According to officials, there was an assurance that the excess payment would be returned.
But the money never came back.
“They said the amount would be refunded — but nothing reached our account,”
said centre head Girish Kumar, speaking to the media.
After lecturer’s death, recovery got tougher
A few months later, Martinic passed away, further weakening the university’s chances of recovery.
The payment had reportedly been made from a ₹20-lakh student exchange fund provided by the state government.
Reports also suggest the amount was later transferred by Kathleen to a consulting group’s account.
The university has lodged a complaint with the Banking Ombudsman, but the matter remains pending.
SBI admits error — uncertainty remains
State Bank of India has admitted the clerical mistake —
but has asked the university to help pursue the recipient for repayment.
For now, this “costly typo” continues to weigh on the university’s balance sheet —
with no clarity on if or when the money will be recovered.
