SBI’s Utkal University branch. (File Picture)

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 30: Officials of the Utkal University branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) have lodged a complaint with the Saheed Nagar police regarding fraudulent withdrawal of money from the accounts of some university employees.

Sources said the bank authorities have identified the person involved. Those who had lost their money were assured by the bank authorities that their money would be recovered. Surendra Behera, who had lost cash worth Rs 3.61 lakh, said the bank authorities had assured him he would get his money back within 15 days. “They will return our money after the inquiry is over,” said Behera.

Behera, a fourth class employee of the university, was shocked on Saturday when he went to the bank to withdraw money and found only Rs 486 in his account. The bank officials informed him that Rs 3.61 lakh had been withdrawn from the account on August 9, but he had no clue about the transaction. He alleged that his money had been fraudulently withdrawn from his account.

As the word got around, his colleagues gathered at the bank and demanded a probe. The agitating employees of the university alleged that such activities had been going on for a while in that particular branch of SBI. On Friday, Umamani Sahu, another fourth class employee of the university, had lodged a complaint with the bank alleging that Rs 1.44 lakh had been withdrawn from her account fraudulently. The list of complainants did not end there, as two more persons alleged that money also had been swindled from their accounts. They lost around Rs 25,000 each from their accounts.

The role of an employee of the bank, Gangadhar Jena, is suspected. “Such frauds have surfaced in the past at this SBI branch. A man had been found guilty in one such incident earlier and had to pay back the money. Nobody thought it would happen again. Forged signatures of the account holders had been used to withdraw money,” said M.K. Panda, another employee.

The bank officials today informed the police that Jena has been absent since Saturday and could not be contacted. They refused to confirm whether he was suspected to be the culprit. “Inquiry is on and it will take some more time. It is too early to comment, but we will take action,” said the branch manager, Ashok Mishra.

The Saheed Nagar police said that they had received a complaint. “We have got the complaint in which Jena’s name has been mentioned. As they have their own investigating agency that is conducting the inquiry we have sought the audit report from them. After going through it, we will conduct our investigation,” said a police officer.

In June, the deputy manager (clearance) of Kotak Mahindra Bank at Kharavela Nagar, Purna Chandra Sarakar, was arrested for embezzling a whopping Rs 1.3 crore over two years. Instead of clearing the cheques through the RBI cheque clearance system, he would divert them to share markets. He is now lodged in Jharapada special jail.