Rajasthan Farmer Receives Rs 16 Lakh By Mistake, Refuses To Return It To The Bank
According to the bank manager, on December 31, a sum of Rs 16 lakh was mistakenly transferred to the farmer's account. This sum was for a crop insurance premium for New India Insurance Company
In a case of mistaken identity, a farmer in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district received a windfall of Rs 16 lakh in his bank account. However, his refusal to return the mistakenly credited amount has led the bank to seek police intervention.
The incident occurred in Arni police station area of Kishangarh, where farmer Kanaram Jat, a resident of Chhota Lamba village, received the substantial sum in his account from Bank of Baroda. Overjoyed, Jat promptly used Rs 15 lakh to settle a personal loan.
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The error came to light when the bank discovered that the amount, intended as a crop insurance premium for New India Insurance Company, had been wrongly transferred to Jat’s account on December 31.
Bank of Baroda manager Jitendra Thakur, in his complaint filed with the Arani police station on Tuesday evening, stated, “On December 31, a transaction of Rs 16 lakh was mistakenly made to the account of farmer Kanaram Jat. This amount was intended for New India Insurance Company but was mistakenly transferred to Jat’s bank account. The amount represented a crop insurance premium."
“Initially, our employees were unaware of the mistake. The discovery of the error caused quite a stir," Thakur further explained.
The bank manager revealed that Jat had made three separate transactions of Rs 5 lakh each between January 2 and 4, effectively withdrawing the entire Rs 15 lakh for personal use. ‘The bank administration discovered this on January 10. We contacted the farmer and requested him to return the money, but he refused," Thakur added.
Jat, on his part, maintained that he has already utilised the money to repay his loan.
The bank is now pursuing legal recourse to recover the funds. Thakur said, “Kanaram Jat’s Kisan Credit Card and land documents for 16 bighas are with the bank. If he does not return the money, we will be forced to recover the Rs 16 lakh by auctioning his land."
Ramswaroop Jat, the police station officer, confirmed that an investigation is underway. “We are looking into the matter and will take the farmer’s account statement to arrive at a resolution," he said.
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