Bank Returns ₹55 Lakh from Kalyan’s Account, But Mystery Remains

Kalyan Bandyopadhyay had alleged that ₹55 lakh had vanished from his bank account. On Friday, the Trinamool MP revealed that he received a message from the State Bank of India (SBI) confirming that ₹55 lakh had been credited to his account. It is still unclear whether the amount was recovered or if it was a compensation from the bank.

Kalyan remarked that, perhaps, being an MP played a role in the money being restored, raising concerns about what ordinary citizens would face in similar situations. He also took a dig at the central government.

He explained that his account at SBI’s Parliament branch had funds transferred to the Assembly sub-branch account, after which the embezzlement took place. On Friday, the bank confirmed the credit of ₹55 lakh. A complaint has been filed with the bank’s cybercrime division. Kalyan stated that those responsible for this fraud must be apprehended. He added, “Today, perhaps because of the blessings of the people and God, I got the money back as an MP. But imagine the situation of ordinary citizens! What if someone saves money for their daughter’s wedding, and something like this happens?”

He also criticised the central government, questioning, “The central government is using the ED for so many things. Why isn’t a branch being opened to catch digital fraudsters?”

Kalyan served as the Asansol South MLA from 2001 to 2006. During this period, an account in his name, along with other MLAs, was opened at SBI’s Assembly sub-branch, which operates under the bank’s High Court branch. All allowances he received as an MLA were credited to this account. Now an MP, Kalyan had not conducted any transactions in this account for a long time, turning it into a ‘dormant account’ — a term used by banks for accounts with no activity over an extended period. Fraudsters allegedly exploited this dormant account to carry out the embezzlement.

According to reports, the High Court branch manager informed Kalyan of the fraud over a phone call on Thursday. The fraud involved using the MP’s photo and mobile number to transfer ₹55 lakh from the Parliament branch to the dormant Assembly account, from where the entire amount was subsequently withdrawn.