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“My daughter’s wedding stopped”: Bank Mitra fraud in Lucknow leaves depositors in distress
The alleged fraud at the Bank of Baroda branch located at the Shakuntala Mishra University campus has affected residents of Para, Budheshwar, Kakori and nearby areas, triggering panic among account holders.
“Everything is gone,” said Ram Naresh, a cycle mechanic from Para, who had saved ₹7.8 lakh over the years for the marriages of his three daughters. He said he managed to arrange his eldest daughter’s wedding last November, but when he visited the bank to encash a fixed deposit for his second daughter’s marriage scheduled on February 18, he was told the account had no balance. “I felt dizzy. We had to postpone the wedding. We trusted the bank,” he said.
The alleged fraud at the Bank of Baroda branch located at the Shakuntala Mishra University campus has affected residents of Para, Budheshwar, Kakori and nearby areas, triggering panic among account holders.
“My father sold land for my future,” said Janaki, a resident of Salempur Patora. She said ₹33.35 lakh was transferred to her account through RTGS around two-and-a-half years ago, and ₹20 lakh was placed in a fixed deposit. “When I went to withdraw ₹6,000 last week, they told me only ₹46,000 was left,” she said.
Another woman said her account balance showed just ₹1,200 despite regular cash deposits and receipts. “There was no message, no OTP. I kept depositing money, believing it was safe,” she said.
The case has also spread fear among students. “If my scholarship money disappears, my studies will stop,” said Karan Yadav, a pharmacy student at Shakuntala University, adding that several students are now anxious about their accounts.
Victims have alleged staff collusion, claiming money from at least 17 accounts was transferred to a single account in the name of Mohan, amounting to nearly ₹1 crore. They alleged that bank staff did not share details despite repeated requests. Protests were held at the branch on January 14 and again on Wednesday, during which the accused “Bank Mitra” was allegedly present.
Para police have arrested Shiva Rao, a Bank Mitra, and his alleged accomplice Dilip Kumar, a former security guard at the bank’s ATM booth. Police said ₹2.38 lakh in cash, mobile phones and key banking documents were recovered. According to investigators, Shiva allegedly issued fake fixed deposit receipts to customers from 2020, while Dilip allegedly assisted in preparing forged documents and facilitating transactions. Police said crucial evidence stored in Shiva’s mobile phone was allegedly destroyed.
Investigators have noted that four branch managers were posted at the bank since 2020 and all will be questioned to fix accountability.
Police also said Shiva allegedly built a luxury house worth crores in Rajajipuram’s Saripura area. Authorities are probing the source of funds and ownership of the property, which may be attached if found to have been built using proceeds of crime.
DCP West Vishwajeet Srivastava said a detailed investigation is underway. “If any bank employee is found involved, strict action will follow,” he said.
