Kendrapara: In a bizarre incident, several customers of the Odisha Gramya Bank branch in Poriyali village under Aul block of Odisha’s Kendrapara district were surprised on Thursday to receive SMS messages saying that their accounts have been credited with large amounts from “unknown sources”.
As the news spread, a crowd gathered at the bank to withdraw the money credited to their accounts. Many customers, including women, claimed their money showing the messages received on their mobile phones. The crowd soon became unmanageable and the bank authorities were compelled to manage the large number of people flocking to the bank.
Local bank authorities also admitted that a number of people had received varying amounts in their accounts from “unknown sources”. The amount of money credited to the customers’ accounts varied from Rs 10,000 to Rs 80,000 and after preliminary inquiry, it was found the money was sent under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBI) but the sender’s details were not available.
Initially, the bank allowed some customers to withdraw the money deposited in their accounts but later stopped making payments. “We are investigating the source of the money before we make further payments,” said one bank official.
