Customers besiege bank for ‘issuing fake notes’

ERODE: Customers laid siege to the Modakuruchi branch of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) here on Friday after it allegedly issued them fake notes. Bank officials, however, denied the allegations.

S Kuppusamy, 47, of Modakuruchi, an industrialist, had withdrawn Rs 3 lakh from the bank on Monday (July 24). He took the amount to another bank on Friday to deposit it there. The cashier of that bank, who verified the notes, informed Kuppusamy that six notes of Rs 2,000 denomination were fake.

He told the cashier that the notes were issued by IOB and there was chance of them being fake notes. “But, the cashier refused to accept the six notes,” Kuppusamy said.

He then approached the IOB and told the officials about the fake notes. The officials refused to accept the notes as he had withdrawn the cash four days ago. The bank officials clearly stated that they won’t take responsibility for the fake notes.

Meanwhile, another IOB customer, identified as Gowri Shankar of Olapalayam near Modakuruchi, approached the bank manager, Nithyakalyani, with the same complaint. He said, he was issued one Rs 2,000 fake note when he withdrew Rs 15,000 on Friday. In this case also the bank manager refused to accept the fake note.

Irked, both Kuppusamy and Gowri Shankar argued with the bank manager. Other customers in the bank joined the duo and they laid siege to the bank. Following this, officials closed the bank and went outside.

The customers claimed that the fake notes detection machine in the bank did not detect the fake notes when they checked.

Kuppusamy and Gowri Shankar said they would lodge separate police complaints against the bank officials. They are expected to lodge complaints with the Modakuruhi police on Saturday.