A woman named Shveta Sharma has accused a manager at ICICI Bank of defrauding her by secretly withdrawing Rs. 16 crore from her account. The alleged fraud involved the creation of fake accounts, forged signatures, and manipulation of records.
Discovery of the Fraud:
Sharma returned to India in 2016 and deposited her life savings of approximately Rs. 13.5 crore at ICICI Bank. She expected the amount to grow to Rs. 16 crore with interest over four years. However, in January, when she decided to check her funds, she discovered that her fixed deposits were missing.
Bank’s Response:
After acknowledging the fraud, ICICI Bank suspended the accused branch manager and initiated an investigation. The bank also filed a complaint with the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police. A bank spokesperson expressed surprise that Sharma was unaware of the transactions for the past three years. They assured her that once the allegations are proven, she would receive her money back, along with interest.
Previous Incidents:
This incident follows a similar case in February, where a branch manager and their aides at ICICI Bank in Rajasthan were accused of defrauding depositors of crores of rupees. The bank resolved that issue promptly, ensuring that no customers lost any money. However, despite ICICI Bank’s promise to resolve Sharma’s case, more than six weeks have passed without any of her money being returned, according to the BBC report.
