Man refuses to return money credited to A/C due to bank error during lockdown, arrested

The money was sent in the account of Ranjit Das, a native of Bakhtiyarpur village under Mansi police station area on April 25, 2020, due to a lapse on the part of the Dakshin Bihar Gramin Bank (DBGB).

PATNA

The money was sent in the account of Ranjit Das, a native of Bakhtiyarpur village under Mansi police station area on April 25, 2020, due to a lapse on the part of the Dakshin Bihar Gramin Bank (DBGB). (Shutterstock)

A private tutor in Khagaria district of Bihar, who received ₹5.5 lakh in his account due to a bank error but refused to return the amount despite notices served to him as he felt it could be a ploy to extort money from him sent by the government, has been arrested by the police following a complaint lodged against him by the bank authorities.

The money was sent in the account of Ranjit Das, a native of Bakhtiyarpur village under Mansi police station area on April 25, 2020, due to a lapse on the part of the Dakshin Bihar Gramin Bank (DBGB). Once the error was detected, Das, who also had an account in the same branch, was served notice to return it.

“I felt that due to Covid-19 and the lockdown, the government had sent the amount into my account. These days, a lot of banking frauds take place and so I did not return. As I had some needs, I spent ₹1,60, 970. I was happy that the government had sent some money when I needed it. How else could money reach my empty account,” he told the police.

Deepak Kumar, station house officer (SHO) of Mansi police station, told HT that the branch manager of DGDB Satyanarayan Prasad lodged an FIR against Ranjit on August 17 this year.

The police arrested Das on Tuesday and he was sent to judicial custody by a local court on Wednesday.

The SHO said the remaining amount was debited from his account by the bank.

Prasad said bank authorities had served more than six notices to Das before lodging an FIR (first information report).