Farmer in Rajasthan Receives Rs 16 Lakh by Mistake, Refuses to Return It, Bank Seeks Police Help

In a case of mistaken identity, a farmer in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district found himself with an unexpected windfall of Rs 16 lakh in his bank account. However, his refusal to return the money has led the bank to involve the police.
The incident took place in the Arni police station area of Kishangarh, where Kanaram Jat, a farmer from Chhota Lamba village, received the large sum in his account from Bank of Baroda. Excited by the unexpected deposit, Jat quickly used Rs 15 lakh to pay off a personal loan.
The mistake was discovered when the bank realized that the Rs 16 lakh, intended as a crop insurance premium payment for New India Insurance Company, had been wrongly transferred to Jat’s account on December 31.
Bank of Baroda manager Jitendra Thakur filed a complaint with the Arni police station on Tuesday evening, stating, “On December 31, Rs 16 lakh was mistakenly transferred to the account of farmer Kanaram Jat. This money was meant for New India Insurance Company as a crop insurance premium but was wrongly credited to Jat’s account.”
Thakur explained that the bank initially did not realize the error, but the discovery caused a significant stir. It was later found that Jat had withdrawn the entire Rs 15 lakh in three separate transactions of Rs 5 lakh each between January 2 and 4, using the money for personal expenses.
The bank only became aware of the mistake on January 10. Upon contacting Jat, the bank requested that he return the money, but he refused. Jat claimed that he had already used the funds to repay his loan.
In response, the bank is now taking legal action to recover the money. Thakur added, “Kanaram Jat’s Kisan Credit Card and documents for 16 bighas of land are with the bank. If he does not return the Rs 16 lakh, we will have to recover the amount by auctioning his land.”
The police are investigating the matter. Ramswaroop Jat, the officer in charge of the Arni police station, confirmed, “We are looking into the case and will review the farmer’s account statement to find a resolution.”