📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / SpeakingArch
Crime
Farmers claim Rs 70-80 lakh stolen, 23 rural bank staff booked in Burhanpur
✍️ Amar Ujala · Madhya Pradesh
🗓 23 Oct 2026, 08:36 PM
👁 13
Farmers in Burhanpur district allege that between Rs 70 lakh and Rs 80 lakh were illegally withdrawn from their accounts, prompting a complaint against 23 staff members of the Fophanar branch of a rural bank.
A group of farmers from Burhanpur district in Madhya Pradesh has lodged a formal complaint alleging that fraudulent withdrawal slips and forged signatures were used to siphon off between Rs 70 lakh and Rs 80 lakh from their accounts at the Fophanar branch of a local rural bank.
According to the farmers, the illegal withdrawals were carried out through counterfeit withdrawal forms that appeared to be authorized by the account holders. They claim that the bank staff colluded in the scheme, resulting in a substantial loss for the agricultural community.
The complaint names 23 employees of the branch, accusing them of involvement in the alleged fraud. Local authorities have been notified, and an investigation is expected to be launched to verify the claims and recover the missing funds.
The incident has raised concerns among farmers about the security of their deposits in cooperative and rural banking institutions, prompting calls for stricter oversight and verification mechanisms.
Bank officials have not yet responded to the allegations, and the matter remains under investigation by the district administration.
According to the farmers, the illegal withdrawals were carried out through counterfeit withdrawal forms that appeared to be authorized by the account holders. They claim that the bank staff colluded in the scheme, resulting in a substantial loss for the agricultural community.
The complaint names 23 employees of the branch, accusing them of involvement in the alleged fraud. Local authorities have been notified, and an investigation is expected to be launched to verify the claims and recover the missing funds.
The incident has raised concerns among farmers about the security of their deposits in cooperative and rural banking institutions, prompting calls for stricter oversight and verification mechanisms.
Bank officials have not yet responded to the allegations, and the matter remains under investigation by the district administration.