Rs 33 lakh withdrawn from Siwan college account using cloned cheques

PATNA: An intermediate college in Siwan is left with no money to pay its teaching and non-teaching staff after Rs 32.75 lakh was fraudulently withdrawn from its bank and deposited in three different accounts in Patna, Jamui and Lakhisarai using cloned cheques. The college, Rajdev Singh Mahavidyalaya, is located at Mairwan Road in Siwan.
Principal Dr Abhimanyu Singh told TOI over the phone that the account with the Bank of India's main branch at Babuna Mor was affected.
“Altogether Rs 33.5 lakh was in the bank account from which Rs 32.75 lakh was transacted via RTGS by conmen using four cloned cheques on January 25 and January 27,” Singh said.
Singh further said the original cheques having same serial numbers used by conmen are still in his possession. “Those cheques were of a new booklet. I am yet to finish the old booklet,” he said, adding, he had issued a cheque bearing an amount of Rs 1.35 lakh on February 11 for the salary payment of staffers for January.
“When the salary was not credited even after four days, some staffer informed me. I sent a professor and the college accountant to the bank on Monday when the authorities informed them that the account has insufficient balance,” he said.
The principal said he went to the bank on Tuesday to take out a detailed statement after which the fraudulent transactions came to light.
Singh said hardly Rs 45,000 is left in the college’s bank account and even the January salary is yet to be paid.
“None, including myself, will be able to get the salary until the bank pays back the money lost due to their negligence. Bank authorities have assured that they would pay the money lost by forgery but have not clarified any timeframe,” the principal said, adding, he has lodged an FIR in connection with the forgery with the Town police station.
Quoting the bank authorities, the principal said Rs 5 lakh has been transacted to the account of one Surat Sah with IndusInd Bank in Patna, more than Rs 9.5 lakh has been deposited to the account of one Sameer Kumar with Bandhan bank in Lakhisarai and Rs 17.5 lakh has been deposited into an account in the name of Sonu Kumar with Canara Bank in Jamui.
The principal said he didn’t receive any call before clearance of the cloned cheques nor any SMS for the four fraudulent transactions.
Town police station SHO Jaiprakash Pandit said an FIR has been registered in which the applications of Singh as well as bank the manager have been clubbed.
“The manager has made Surat, Sameer and Sonu as accused of the fraudulent transactions. With further investigation, it would become clear if any bank employee is also involved in it nor not,” he added.