A poor couple from Mettamura area in South Charilam has alleged financial irregularities and excess recovery of money by the Charilam branch of Bandhan Bank.

On Saturday morning, daily wage worker Sudip Sarkar and his wife Bulti Kar Sarkar expressed their grievances before the media. According to the complaint, Sudip’s mother, Anita Sarkar, had taken a loan of ₹1 lakh from the Charilam branch on November 7, 2024. As per the agreement, the loan was to be repaid in 96 weekly installments of ₹1,280 each.

The family claimed that they regularly paid 81 installments, sometimes online and sometimes in cash, and that they possess all relevant documents as proof. 

However, Sudip alleged that the very first installment of Rs 1,280 was never credited to the bank’s account, despite a bank staff member visiting their home, collecting the money, and making an entry in the loan passbook.

The issue came to light on the 20th of this month when the family visited the Charilam branch to clear the remaining installments in a lump sum. They reportedly discovered significant discrepancies in the loan account. According to the couple, the bank informed them that ₹19,200 was required to close the loan. However, they were allegedly charged Rs 22,200 — around Rs 3,000 more than stated.

When questioned, branch officials reportedly said the additional amount was charged as “holiday interest.” Sudip Sarkar raised concerns over how such interest could be applied when they had been paying installments regularly every week. He also claimed that the bank statement does not reflect the first installment payment. “Where has our hard-earned money gone?” he asked, demanding a fair investigation.

The family further alleged that despite visiting the bank multiple times, they did not receive a satisfactory response. They said they had submitted both written and verbal complaints to the Area Manager, who visits the branch every Friday.

According to the couple, a similar incident had previously occurred with another customer from South Charilam, and corrections were made only after the matter was reported in the media.

The incident has caused concern in the locality, with some residents stating that failure to resolve such complaints transparently and promptly could damage the credibility of the branch.

However, no official statement has yet been received from the Charilam branch authorities of Bandhan Bank regarding the allegations.