A Dabwali resident has won praise for his honesty after returning Rs 1 lakh to a bank when he discovered the amount had been mistakenly handed to him during a cash withdrawal.
The incident occurred at an HDFC Bank branch in Dabwali. Bank officials said a cash reconciliation exercise on May 22 revealed a shortage of Rs 1 lakh, triggering concern among employees. The discrepancy was particularly troubling for cashier Kanchan Bishnoi, from whose counter the payment had been made.
The bank launched an internal inquiry and contacted customers who had withdrawn large sums in recent days. However, the investigation failed to produce any clear leads for several days.
The man who returned the money, Amandeep, is an employee of MP College in Dabwali. He said on May 22, his mother’s health suddenly deteriorated and he urgently needed funds for her treatment. He withdrew Rs 1.04 lakh from the bank and immediately left for a hospital in Bathinda, Punjab.
Owing to the medical emergency, he did not count the cash at the branch and instead placed it directly into his bag before heading to the hospital.
Around May 26, bank officials contacted Amandeep and asked whether he might have received an additional Rs 1 lakh during the transaction. As he was still attending to his mother in hospital, he told them he would verify the amount once he returned home.
After returning to Dabwali on Saturday, Amandeep counted the cash and discovered that he had Rs 2.04 lakh instead of the Rs 1.04 lakh he had withdrawn. He then realised that the bank had mistakenly given him an extra Rs 1 lakh.
Amandeep informed his friend, Ramandeep, and the two went to the bank branch. There, he explained the situation to the cashier and other bank officials before returning the excess amount.
Bank employees, who had been under considerable stress since the shortage was detected, expressed relief after the money was returned. The bank’s management and staff thanked Amandeep and commended him for his integrity.
Amandeep said he had withdrawn only Rs 1.04 lakh and had no right to keep money that did not belong to him. He said mistakes can happen and that it was his responsibility to return the bank’s money.
