Greater Noida PNB Branch Under Police Scanner Over Missing Deposits Worth ₹11.24 Crore

Punjab National Bank (PNB) has assured customers that all genuine claims arising from the alleged misappropriation of funds at its Greater Noida branch will be honoured. The bank said it had settled three claims amounting to ₹43 lakh as of October 28 and was examining other complaints on priority. The assurance comes after several account holders alleged that more than ₹11.24 crore had disappeared from their savings accounts and fixed deposits without their authorisation.

An FIR has been registered against unidentified bank employees under Section 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with criminal breach of trust. The complaint was filed by Shrichand and other account holders at the Beta-2 police station in Greater Noida. It lists 21 individuals who have collectively reported losses exceeding ₹11.24 crore. Two complainants have alleged that more than ₹1 crore each went missing from their accounts.

However, local account holders have estimated that the alleged fraud could be around ₹35 crore, claiming that savings accounts, fixed deposits and mutual fund investments were affected. These figures remain estimates and have not yet been officially established. Separate reports have also cited different figures for the number of complainants and the total amount involved.

Among those who approached the authorities, Shrichand alleged that ₹1.16 crore had gone missing from his fixed deposit. Bijendra Singh claimed that his savings account, which held around ₹87–88 lakh, showed a balance of just ₹1 lakh. Another account holder, Haneep Khan, reported an alleged loss of ₹39 lakh, while Zakir said ₹9.5 lakh had disappeared without any transaction alert.

The complaints reportedly emerged after customers noticed discrepancies in their account balances and discovered that funds had been transferred without their knowledge. Some account holders have also raised concerns about changes to their registered mobile numbers and email addresses, which they suspect may have enabled unauthorised transactions.

Investigators are examining the suspected transactions and the possible involvement of bank employees. Reports have indicated that funds may have been transferred to multiple accounts in Goa, Mumbai and Jharkhand, with some accounts reportedly frozen as part of the investigation. Allegations concerning missing valuables from bank lockers have also surfaced, although these claims require separate verification.

Several bank employees, including the branch manager, have reportedly been suspended. The bank is also examining whether internal login credentials were misused and whether outsiders were involved.