Rs 759 crore 'scholarship': Student left stunned by massive bank account error

COOCH BEHAR: A seventh-standard student in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district was left stunned after discovering that her bank account balance stood at over Rs 759 crore. The incident occurred in the Haldibari region, where the student, identified as Suparna Roy, had visited a bank customer service centre to withdraw her government scholarship funds.

Suparna and her family became aware of the transaction after receiving an SMS notification stating that a sum of Rs 800—her scholarship amount—had been credited to her account. Hoping to use the money to purchase a new pair of school shoes, the student visited a local customer service centre on Saturday accompanied by her older brother. After withdrawing Rs 900, the family checked the remaining balance and were shocked to find the astronomical figure reflected in the account.

The girl’s father, a migrant worker currently employed in Kerala, stated that the family has no knowledge of the source of the funds and is entirely perplexed by the development. The incident has since become a major talking point in the Haldibari region, prompting authorities to launch an investigation. Officials are currently examining whether the error was caused by a technical glitch or a systemic failure within the banking operations.

This occurrence follows a series of similar reports where large, inexplicable sums have appeared in account holders' balances across various regions. In the neighbouring Jalpaiguri district, a woman recently found over Rs 100 crore in her account while attempting to withdraw benefits from a government scheme. Similarly, in Bihar, an 82-year-old pensioner named Kameshwar Mishra reportedly found Rs 759 crore in his account after visiting the bank to withdraw his pension. Such recurring incidents have raised significant public concern regarding the security and operational accuracy of the banking infrastructure.