Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Feb 6: A flower vendor from Channapatna could not believe his ears and eyes when bank officials approached him at his doorstep seeking explanation for a huge sum of amount that is credited to his wife’s account.

Syed Malik Burhan (32) was under distress as he had to undergo ear surgery that costs Rs two lac and was thinking of ways to collect this amount. However, he was surprised and a bit shocked when he saw the officials of the bank where his wife has an account at his doorstep on December 2, 2019. They had come to his house to seek explanation for the amount that has come into his wife’s account.

Representational image

The bank officials did not disclose the amount or any other details to Burhan or his wife. In fact, the SBI bank account held by Rehana, wife of Burhan had a balance of a meagre Rs 60.

On the evening of December 2, 2019 itself Burhan and his wife went to the bank to meet the officials. They were repeatedly asking the source of the money that has come into Rehana, Burhan’s wife’s account but did not disclose the account. But the answer given by Burhan to the bank officials did not convince them.

The repeated questioning of bank officials about the source of money that has come into the account of his wife made Burhan curious and he thought for sure that there is something terribly wrong. So he went to an ATM and checked the balance in his wife's account. That is when he and his wife got the shock of their lives as the balance shown was Rs 30 crore instead of the meagre Rs 60, which was actually left in that account. Burhan thought that the ATM might be at fault and is showing wrong balance and checked at two more ATMs but the result was the same. Finally, he approached the police as well as the Income Tax department to inform them of Rs 30 crore in his wife’s account.

The depositing of such a huge amount in his wife’s account has brought more misery to Burhan than joy. The account is frozen by the bank officials. Burhan, who lives with his wife and two young toddlers in Channapatna is running from pillar to post and begging authorities to investigate the source of the money, so that he can lead a normal life.

Then Burhan recalled an incident that occurred on December 5, 2019, which he narrated to the bank officials. Burhan says, “I had purchased a saree to my wife online. The following a day a person, who introduced himself as an executive of the online platform where I had purchased a saree to my wife, called us and said that I have won a SUV costing Rs 14 lac and asked me to deposit Rs 6,900 towards the insurance of the vehicle. I told him that I do not have money and am struggling to collect Rs two lac for my ear surgery. He took the bank account details of my wife and also the OTP that was sent to her mobile and said that he will get back to us and disconnected the call.

Burhan’s complaint to the Income Tax department of Channapatna and Mandya was not entertained. His case was finally taken up by a senior police officer, whom he approached along with one of his friend on January 9.

In the midst of all these chaos, Burhan got a call from a stranger a few days ago saying that he is the one who has sent the money to his account. The person said that Burhan can keep Rs 15 crore and send the rest Rs 15 crore back to him. Burhan promptly brought this to the notice of the police department.

Finally, a case is registered at the Channapatna police station under the Income Tax sections of cheating, impersonation and other violations. According to the police, some online fraudsters have used the bank account of Burhan’s wife. Now the cops are on the hunt for the person who contacted Burhan on his mobile.