“Dear TMB (Tamilnad Mercantile Bank) Customer. Your Account XXXX.. is credited Rs.20,000”. Sneha (name changed) a lecturer of the Gandhiji Mahila Kalasala here was shocked to see this mysterious SMS. Just when she was wondering if the message was genuine, she got another one saying the same amount had been withdrawn from her account.
Sneha was not the only one to be surprised. Many other lecturers and employees of the college too were shocked to receive such them after the announcement of the demonetisation of big notes. As the Task Force police began inquiry into this strange phenomenon which simply meant somebody was depositing and withdrawing cash misusing their accounts, the needle of suspicion turns towards the management and the principal.
A few days ago, the management reportedly detained some employees and students and collected personal data including their account numbers saying they need to cooperate with the management. When the transactions were happening daily without their knowledge, they confronted principal Ramana Sri. But she was evasive and incoherent in her answers.
The Kalasala runs a school, Intermediate and degree colleges on Park Road, One Town. The employees who had accounts in a national bank recently changed their transactions to Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB).
Illegal transactions?
“On November 12, the principal asked me to come to her chamber and said that she wanted to deposit some cash in my account. When I objected, the principal shouted at me. She threatened other staff too,” said another lecturer Preethi [name changed]. The principal and the accountant took the signatures and collected copies of the Aadhar and PAN cards. “The principal instructed us not to reveal the matter to our family, friends and the other staff in the college. We are very much worried as our original certificates are with the college management. The principal refused to return them,” said another victim.
Messages received
Some teaching and non-teaching staff of the private college complained that they had been receiving messages in their mobile phones of deposits of Rs.46,000, Rs.50,000, Rs.20,000 and in other denominations and withdrawals of the same amounts without their involvement When contacted, the college accountant said the principal was aware of the transactions. Ms. Ramana Sri did not respond to the phone calls from The Hindu . The Customer Care number of the TMB too was switched off.
A Task Force official told The Hindu on Sunday that the matter was under investigation.
