Key Highlights

  • Allegations: Several customers of Punjab National Bank’s Pi-1 branch in Greater Noida allege crores of rupees were withdrawn from their accounts without authorisation and have filed police complaints.
  • Shocking balances: One customer alleges his father’s account fell from about Rs 88 lakh to about Rs 1,290; others report losses of nearly Rs 90 lakh and Rs 51 lakh.
  • Large withdrawals: Transactions of Rs 25 lakh, Rs 21 lakh, Rs 20 lakh and Rs 5 lakh were allegedly made from one account on June 6, 2025.
  • Staff suspended: A complainant alleges the branch manager told customers on October 26 that the entire branch staff had been suspended.
  • No official word yet: PNB has not issued an official statement; authorities are expected to investigate.

For most families, a fixed balance in a public sector bank is the safest money they have. For several customers of Punjab National Bank’s (PNB) Pi-1 branch in Greater Noida, that sense of safety has been badly shaken.

Customers allege that large sums were withdrawn from their accounts without authorisation, with the total running into crores of rupees. They have filed complaints with the police, and they claim that after the matter came to light, the bank replaced the entire staff at the branch and assured them efforts were underway to resolve it.

What Customers Are Alleging

Account holder Sonu said nearly Rs 90 lakh was missing from his account. He claimed bank officials offered an explanation for the missing funds and assured him the money would be restored.

Another customer, Rahul, said around Rs 51 lakh was allegedly withdrawn without authorisation from his mother’s account at the branch. He pointed to a crucial gap: the account wasn’t linked to a mobile number, so the family never received timely alerts about the transactions.

The most striking claim came from Sonu Sagar, who alleged that his father’s account, which earlier held around Rs 88 lakh, showed a balance of only about Rs 1,290 in a recent statement. He claimed the suspected embezzlement had been going on for several years, and that multiple withdrawals, including Rs 25 lakh, Rs 21 lakh, Rs 20 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, were made on June 6, 2025, along with several other transactions.

In one police complaint, an account holder said that after spotting discrepancies he was asked to return in a day or two. On revisiting, he allegedly found senior officials unavailable and normal banking operations disrupted. He further alleged that branch manager Nisha Tirkey informed customers on October 26 that the entire branch staff had been suspended.

PNB has not yet issued an official statement on the allegations. Authorities are expected to investigate the complaints and establish the extent of the alleged fraud. All claims remain allegations at this stage.

What Affected Customers Can Do

The case highlights a common weak spot: accounts, often belonging to elderly holders, that aren’t linked to a mobile number and therefore generate no SMS alerts. Without alerts, unauthorised withdrawals can go unnoticed for months or even years.

Under the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) customer protection framework, a customer has zero liability for unauthorised transactions that result from fraud, negligence or deficiency on the part of the bank, regardless of when the customer reports it. Affected customers should keep a written record of every complaint made to the branch, preserve account statements and passbooks, and attach a copy of their police complaint.

If the bank doesn’t resolve a complaint within 30 days, or the customer is unhappy with its reply, they can approach the RBI under the Integrated Ombudsman Scheme through the RBI’s complaint management portal.

For all account holders, the safeguards are simple but often ignored: link a mobile number and email to every account, enable SMS alerts, and check statements regularly, especially for accounts held by elderly family members.

What Comes Next

The key questions now are how the alleged withdrawals went unnoticed for so long, whether internal checks failed, and how quickly customers will get their money back. PNB’s official response and the findings of the police investigation will decide what happens next for the affected families.

(With inputs from IANS)