Williamnagar SBI Bank Fiasco: Victim accuses employees of swindling funds

Williamnagar, Feb 6: An elderly women from Williamnagar Retmilla R Sangma has alleged that the bank officials were involved in a fraud amounting to ₹1.46 Cr, which mysteriously disappeared from their joint savings bank account.

In an interview to Hub News, Retimilla Sangma claimed that the joint account was opened in SBI Williamnagar and Nongalbibra branch and all their savings were deposited over a period of time.

She claimed that on November 14, 2024, she discovered that all her deposits were systematically withdrawn over a period of nearly 17 months, between June 22, 2023, and November 14, 2024.

“I had no clue about the withdrawal from the account. I realised the fraud only when we took out the statement,” she said.

She strongly suspects that several bank officials were involved in the scam.

“The withdrawals were carried out through cheques and online transfers, with a significant portion of the money (allegedly) transferred into the personal account of Easter Momin, a bank clerk,” she added.

After discovering the fraud, Retmilla had sent multiple complaints and legal notices to SBI officials, demanding the immediate return of her money. However, they turned a deaf ear to her grievances.

“A legal notice was formally served on December 16, 2024, but the bank’s response remained vague and non-committal. They only said that an internal investigation was underway,” she said.

An FIR has been filed against the bank officials.

Retmilla said that bank clerk Easter Momin has admitted his involvement in the fraud.“The bank was supposed to compensate for the fraud based on the confession of Easter Momin, but they have remained non-committal. They seem to have taken the matter lightly,” she added.

“The situation only goes to prove that even a trusted organisation like SBI is vulnerable to internal fraud,” an aggrieved customer of the bank said.

Another concerned citizen said, “Customers should regularly monitor their bank statements, and report any suspicious transactions immediately, and demand stronger security measures from the concerned banks”.

Read: 38th National Games: Meghalaya’s medal count goes up to 5

WATCH:

Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.

Mendipathar railway station witness first freight rake unloading