GREATER NOIDA, November 2, 2026: A reported dispute involving Punjab National Bank accounts in Greater Noida has raised questions for customers after account holders said balances in savings accounts and fixed deposits did not match their records. The Indian Express reported that about ₹35 crore was allegedly affected and that 25 account holders had complained to police. Those figures describe allegations reported by the newspaper, not a final finding that the entire amount was lost or that any named person has been found responsible.
The Indian Express report, published in the days before November 2, described complaints from customers at a PNB branch in Greater Noida. Some account holders were reported to have received compensation connected with land acquired for the Jewar Airport project. One customer said a withdrawal attempt revealed a balance far below what she expected from her deposits. The report said police confirmed that 25 people had filed complaints.
The distinction between an account holder’s statement and an independently verified account ledger matters. A discrepancy can involve an unauthorised transaction, a posting or reconciliation error, a fixed deposit that is not reflected as expected, a disputed maturity instruction, or a more serious allegation of fraud. The public reporting available at the time of writing does not establish a final cause for every disputed account. The investigation and the bank’s account-level review must determine what happened.
Customers should therefore avoid treating social-media posts or unverified lists of names and amounts as authoritative. Anyone affected should work from their own passbook, statements, deposit receipts, SMS and email alerts, and written communication from the bank. Personal account details should not be posted publicly while the issue is being examined.
A customer who notices a discrepancy should preserve evidence before attempting to resolve it informally. Download statements for the relevant period, keep the latest passbook entries, collect fixed-deposit receipts and maturity advice, and save messages showing transactions or changes to account details. If the customer received a deposit or maturity amount by bank transfer, the original credit entry and the subsequent account history may help establish the timeline. Keep copies in a secure location and do not alter original files.
- Visit the branch or contact the bank through a verified number published on PNB’s official website, not a phone number forwarded in a message.
- Submit a written complaint identifying the account, the disputed entries and the amount under review; obtain a complaint number or stamped acknowledgement.
- Ask for a written explanation and a copy of the transaction details relevant to the dispute.
- If cards, internet banking credentials or a registered mobile number may be compromised, request the appropriate block or security reset immediately.
- Do not share an OTP, PIN, password or remote-access code with anyone claiming to be a bank employee or investigator.
- If there is evidence of a digital fraud or an unauthorised electronic transaction, report it promptly through the bank’s official channel and the government’s cybercrime helpline.
PNB’s official complaint service lists its grievance routes and customer-care numbers. Customers should use the contact details published on the bank’s website and retain the acknowledgement. A verbal conversation may help identify the right team, but it is not a substitute for a documented complaint when money is disputed.
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A bank complaint should identify the disputed entries precisely. Rather than writing only that money is missing, list the date, amount, transaction reference if available, account type and the balance expected from the customer’s own records. Ask the bank to confirm whether the transaction was authorised, whether a fixed deposit was closed or renewed, and whether any lien, hold or adjustment has been applied. If the response does not answer those points, the customer can refer to the original complaint number in a follow-up.
The Reserve Bank of India’s Complaint Management System is the entry point for complaints eligible under the RBI Integrated Ombudsman framework. Before filing, customers should read the scheme’s eligibility and timing rules and normally first complain to the regulated entity. If the bank rejects the complaint, provides an unsatisfactory response, or does not respond within the applicable period, the customer can check whether an RBI complaint is available. The official portal is cms.rbi.org.in. A complaint is not automatically accepted simply because a customer is dissatisfied; the RBI scheme has scope and maintainability rules.
If police have registered a complaint or are investigating suspected fraud, customers should keep the police complaint number and provide copies of supporting documents when requested. They should not hand over original documents without a receipt, and they should avoid paying an intermediary who promises to recover the money. If a bank or investigator contacts a customer, verify the person’s identity independently through official contact details.
The Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation says eligible deposits are insured up to ₹5 lakh per depositor per insured bank, including principal and interest, when the specified legal events occur, such as liquidation or cancellation of a bank’s licence or certain restrictions under an RBI direction. The limit is aggregated across branches for deposits held in the same right and capacity. The rule is explained in the DICGC guide to deposit insurance.
That protection should not be misunderstood as a general promise that any disputed account balance will be paid immediately by DICGC. A complaint about an individual transaction at a bank that continues operating is a different matter from an insured event that triggers deposit-insurance payment. Customers should pursue the bank’s reconciliation and complaint process while keeping the insurance rules in perspective.
The sequence of entries can help investigators distinguish a posting issue from an unauthorised debit. A fixed deposit may have its own account number and maturity instruction, while the linked savings account shows only the proceeds when they are credited. A customer should compare the deposit advice with the bank’s current records and check whether a renewal, premature closure, lien or transfer was recorded. None of those possibilities should be assumed to have occurred; they are questions the bank should answer in writing.
Where several customers report similar discrepancies, investigators may look for common transaction dates, branch processes, access logs or changes to account details. Individual account holders should still preserve their own evidence because one person’s account history may differ from another’s. A shared allegation can help establish a pattern, but it does not replace the records needed to resolve each account.
The public reports available by November 2 do not establish a final total of confirmed losses, a complete list of affected accounts, the cause of every discrepancy or any final finding of criminal responsibility. The ₹35 crore figure should therefore continue to be attributed to the reported allegations. Any future bank statement, police update or court filing should be assessed against the underlying records and the status of the investigation.
For customers, the practical priority is straightforward: secure account access, collect evidence, lodge a traceable complaint and follow the official escalation route. For everyone else, the responsible approach is to distinguish a reported allegation from a verified finding and avoid spreading private account information.