Syndicate Bank — Fraudulent Cash withdrawal of Rs. 80,000/- on 30.12.2013

Address:

New Delhi, Delhi

06th January’2014

Mr. S.K. Takkar,
General Manager,
Regional Office, Syndicate Bank,
No. 6, Bhagwandass Road,
New Delhi –110 001

Sub: Fraudulent Cash withdrawal of Rs. 80, 000/- on
30.12.2013
Ref : Saving Bank Account no.[protected] of Mrs.
Sitanjali, Syndicate Bank, Barakhamba Road
Branch, Ist Floor Arunachal Building, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi – 110 001.

Sir,

I, Sitanjali Ahuja w/o Shri Rajesh Kumar Ahuja r/o N-58 B, IInd Floor, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi-92, am working as a teacher in Mater Dei School, Tilak Lane, New Delhi-110001 and holding a Salary Saving Bank Account no. [protected] in Syndicate Bank, Ist Floor Arunachal Building, Barakhamaba Road, New Delhi -110001.

I have to inform you that Somebody has fraudulently withdrawn Rs. 80, 000/- (Rs. Eighty Thousand only) from my above mentioned account on 30.12.2013 by using a cheque no. 104527 which was neither signed by me nor issued to me by the bank. In this connection, I wish to further inform you that my present cheque book issued by the bank in respect of my above-said account had/has 25-cheques bearing Nos. from 484451 to 484475 wherefrom only 7-cheques have so far been used and the rest of 18-cheques along-with requisition slip therein meant for getting issued fresh cheque book are lying intact with me un-used. Further, upon enquiries made from the branch, I have come to know that this series of cheque book viz. cheque No.104527 through which the above fraud has been committed, was issued by the branch on the request letter which was never signed by me nor had I authorized anybody to collect the same on my behalf nor I had any reason or occasion for the same as I still had 18-unused cheques in the cheque book already issued to me. This cheque book (cheque No.104527) is stated to have been issued by the branch on 08.11.2013 and handed over to one Mr. Roshan Lal which is not even known to me due to reasons best known to the branch. On request, the branch manager showed me the forged letter on the basis of which, the said cheque book was issued. However, it is worth noting that on the said purported request letter, my name ‘Sitanjali Ahuja’ is mentioned whereas my above account is in the name of ‘Sitanjali’ only. Also no residential address was mentioned on the request letter and despite the above, the bank issued the cheque book to the said stranger.

My husband deposited a cheque no. 484457 of Rs 85, 000/- (Rupees Eighty five thousand only) in Yes Bank Limited Chattarpur Branch, Delhi – 110074 for transfer of funds from Syndicate Bank duly signed by me on 30.12.2013. The same was returned un-paid due to insufficient funds. My husband had also personally called the branch several times on 31.12.2013 at contact numbers 23314639 and [protected]. My husband had also conveyed to the contact person that there was something wrong as there was adequate bank balance in account and there was no possibility that my transfer cheque amounting Rs. 85, 000/- (Rupees Eighty five thousand only) cheque no 484457, dated 30.12.2013 should have been returned unpaid due to insufficient funds. After verifying the same from Net Banking I came to know that a fraudulent withdrawal of Rs. 80, 000/- (Rupees Eighty thousand only) has been made on 30.12.2013 through cheque no. 104527. I am presently having a cheque book issued by the bank containing cheque nos. from 484451 to 484475. My husband had also personally visited the branch on 31.12.2013 itself immediately upon detection of said fraudulent withdrawal but the Branch Manager told him to come with the Account holder i.e. myself on 01.01.2014 at 2.00 pm.

Accordingly, I visited at Syndicate Bank, Barakhamba Road Branch, New Delhi– 110 001 along-with my husband on 01.01.2014 regarding the said fraudulent cash withdrawal from my Saving Bank Account Number [protected] and handed over a complaint/letter to Branch Manager Mrs. N.V.S. Kamala Devi, a true copy whereof is enclosed hereto for your reference also.

The said Branch Manager showed all documents concerning the said fraud to us including the photocopy of the cheque book request letter and photocopy of the cheque no. 104527 through which the fraud had been committed. It is very clear that the series of cheque book through which the fraudulent cash withdrawal of Rs 80, 000/-was made on 30.12.2013 has never been issued to me or received by me nor I had authorized anyone to collect the same on my behalf from your branch. My present cheque book still had 18 un-used cheque leaves and as such there was no occasion for me to have applied for or authorized anyone to get issue a fresh cheque book without exhausting the existing one as stated above.

After seeing the cheque book request letter dated 08.11.2013, I noticed that my name was mentioned as “SITANJALI AHUJA” therein whereas my above saving account is in the name of “SITANJALI” only and I would also like to further mention that the letter didn’t even have the address of account holder. I had also requested the Branch Manager to give me photocopy of all these papers relating to the said fraud but the branch manager declined to give the same.

It is quite surprising that how can a bank issue the cheque book to a stranger without any requisition or authorization duly signed by the account holder and without obtaining any ID proof of the third party to whom they were handing over the cheque book and without verifying as to whether the earlier cheque book issued to the account holder has been exhausted. It is quite shocking that a bank of such repute is adopting such a casual approach towards issuing a cheque book without taking adequate and requisite precautions as per banking norms. The Bank did not even take any ID proof of the person withdrawing the money from my account. Whereas banking norms require a bank to keep ID proof of any third person withdrawing cash above Rs. 50, 000 from the bank account. The branch manager also showed the CCTV footage of the person who had withdrawn Rs. 80, 000/- form my account but person in CCTV footage was not known to us.

From the above, it is therefore crystal clear that the above fraudulent cash withdrawal has happened owing to the serious and gross negligence and lapses on the part of the bank and I am not at fault. As such, I request you to instruct the bank authorities to credit my bank account with Rs. 80, 000/- (Rupees Eighty thousand only) within a period of 3-days from the receipt of this letter under intimation to me failing which I shall be constrained to institute such appropriate legal proceedings against the bank as may be advised at the entire risk and cost of the bank which please note. I would also like to request you to please provide me all the relevant papers concerning the above fraudulent withdrawal of money.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully


(Sitanjali)
N-58 B, N Block 2nd Floor
Laxmi Nagar, Delhi –110 092
M[protected]

CC :-
1) Hon’ble Union Finance Minister,
Ministry of Finance, North Block,
New Delhi-110001

2) Secretary, Union finance Ministry,
North Block, New Delhi-110001

3) The Hon’ble Governor,
Reserve Bank of India, Parliament Street,
New Delhi-110001

4) ) Smt. Rashmi Fauzdar
The Ombudsman,
C/o Reserve Bank of India,
Sansad marg, New Delhi - 110001

5) C.M.D, Syndicate Bank,
Syndicate Bank Head Office
Eshwar Nagar Manipal, Karnataka - 576104

6) The Branch Manager,
Syndicate Bank,
Barakhamba Road Branch,
New Delhi –110 001