A major financial irregularity has surfaced at a Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch in the Aichhar area of Greater Noida, where customers allege that approximately Rs 35 crore has vanished from their savings accounts and fixed deposits. The affected account holders claim that significant sums were withdrawn without their authorization, and notably, they received no transaction alerts or notifications regarding the movement of their funds.
Among those impacted is Haneef Khan, who discovered that his balance had been depleted. "My savings account had Rs 39 lakh, but now nothing is showing in it. I neither received any message nor signed any document authorising the transfer of funds," Khan stated. Similarly, a local farmer named Vijendra Singh reported that his balance, which previously held between Rs 87 lakh and Rs 88 lakh in land compensation funds, has dropped to just Rs 1 lakh.
For many victims, the missing money represents critical compensation received for land acquisition projects. Santosh, a 60-year-old vendor from Bironda village, reportedly found that Rs 1.18 crore was missing from her account, which had held Rs 1.29 crore in compensation for the Jewar Airport project. Her family discovered the discrepancy when attempting to make a withdrawal. Another customer, Zakir, alleged that Rs 9.5 lakh had been siphoned from his account without any prior notification.
In response to the mounting complaints, PNB management has suspended several staff members, including the branch manager. A formal case has been registered at the Beta-2 police station, and law enforcement officials have confirmed that an investigation into the circumstances of the missing funds is currently underway. While the exact mechanism of the alleged fraud remains under scrutiny, bank authorities have assured the public that they are working to address the grievances of the affected customers.
