FAKE BILLS

Only a few days before diwali the leased line connection at the Pune, clearing house of one of the top Indian public sector bank broke in 2015.  So the branch was unable to process the cheques on Saturday. In the evening the leased line company employees pointed out at the steady green light on the modem and mentioned that their leased line connection was working fine. The networking company employee however mentioned that it was 6.00 p.m. in the evening and all his co-workers in the office have left. Since he is a newly employed person he doesn’t have the expertise required to solve this issue. So he also left after informing the Branch Manager.

On Monday when the employees entered the Clearing House, Pune, the leased line connection at their branch was still not working. Besides the Branches of that Bank had started calling the Clearing House, inquiring about the cheques submitted by them for processing. The customers also started calling enquiring about the delay in the clearing of their cheques. There was complete chaos in the Clearing House.

Now, as always the Branch Manager (Chief Manager, Scale -IV) was advised by his most efficient scale – I officer a.k.a alternate Chief Manager (Scale -I) to send a team of Scale – I officers and clerks to their Clearing house, Mumbai, until the connection was repaired.

The officers including the one who suggested the same along with the clerks prepared the plan and left for Mumbai. They stayed at a dormitory in Mumbai, it provides a bunk bed to sleep and locker for storage.  They charged Rs 300/- per person a year ago. So it won’t cost more than Rs 500/- today. This team that left for Mumbai, stayed in the dormitory and prepared fake bills from hotels to claim a huge amount, from their Bank. 

This always happens in the Indian Public sector banks, because the salary package is very meager as compared to the work allotted to an employee.