Alipurduar, Sept. 21: A Jalpaiguri bank manager notorious for his “foul temper” threw a teacup and a paperweight at two elderly customers when they came to open accounts today.

Customers locked up the Central Bank of India branch in Palashbari from outside for nearly three hours demanding B. Raju’s transfer.

Gnaneswari Barman and Suresh Barman, both in their 70s, had come to the bank around 10am to open accounts. “They requested the manager several times to help them with the formalities but he refused. He asked them to go to the Alipurduar branch (24km away) instead,” said Swapan Roy, a customer.

“When other customers and I protested, Raju used filthy language against us. Then he picked up an empty teacup and a paperweight and threw them at the elderly customers,” Roy alleged.

The paperweight hit Gnaneswari on her forehead while the teacup fell on Suresh. “Sureshbabu suffered bruises on his left hand,” Gnaneswari said.

Raju, in his forties, later admitted that he had misbehaved with customers. “I was under tremendous pressure as the two other employees had not come. So this unfortunate incident happened,” he said.

Customers alleged that Raju misbehaved with them often. “The people have demanded Raju’s transfer. I will inform the sub-divisional officer about this,” said charge Manoj Chakroborty, the officer in charge of Alipurduar police station.