Around 100 customers are set to receive partial relief following an alleged multi-crore embezzlement at the Jalalabad branch of Punjab National Bank. The bank has initiated steps to return approximately 46 lakh rupees to these account holders after evaluating their claims against available records. Officials confirmed that the designated funds have already been deposited into the relevant accounts and will be disbursed once transaction and document verification procedures are concluded. However, the decision has left hundreds of other affected depositors in distress, as their complaints were turned down during the internal inquiry.
About 300 customers who carried out banking transactions through a Bank Mitra had raised allegations of large-scale financial misappropriation involving crores of rupees. The complainants pointed out serious discrepancies between their passbook entries and actual account statements, stating that their deposited savings had vanished without a trace. Following the revelation of the fraud, aggrieved customers repeatedly approached branch and circle authorities seeking the restoration of their hard-earned money, prompting the bank administration to launch a detailed probe into the matter.
Statements and Video Records Form Basis of Verification
Explaining the inquiry process, Circle Officer R.L. Das stated that the bank reviewed six months of security camera recordings from the branch premises alongside formal statements gathered from the complainants and related personnel. The scrutiny focused strictly on financial transactions that took place within the branch premises where verifiable records were available.
Officials maintained that refund approvals were strictly confined to instances where solid transactional evidence was established. Only those account holders whose claims matched the physical records and recorded footage were approved for reimbursement. Consequently, the administration moved forward with the release of 46 lakh rupees for about 100 individuals, noting that final clearance will occur as soon as the documentation process is formally concluded.
Uncertainty Persists Over Disputed Claims
The acceptance of claims for only 100 depositors out of roughly 300 complainants has triggered deep anxiety among the remaining account holders. Many customers whose grievances were rejected continue to wait for the return of their savings, but the current stance of the bank has dealt a severe blow to their prospects.
The central dilemma for these depositors is determining how their missing funds will be restored and who will assume responsibility for their losses. With the bank drawing a firm line between accepted and rejected cases, the excluded customers face an uphill struggle to secure any form of financial compensation for their lost capital.
Bank Refuses Liability for Outside Transactions
Bank authorities clarified that they cannot acknowledge claims that lack adequate documentation or clear proof of execution on site. Customers who could not substantiate that their transactions took place inside the banking hall were excluded from the settlement plan.
According to the circle officer, the institution is legally and operationally accountable only for transactions carried out directly inside the bank branch. The management explicitly disowned responsibility for dealings conducted outside official premises, leading directly to the dismissal of numerous complaints. While the sanctioned payout of 46 lakh rupees offers immediate solace to a fraction of the victims, the wider controversy remains unresolved as the majority of complainants continue to seek justice.
