A chief cashier at a Union Bank of India branch in south Mumbai has been booked by the V.P. Road Police for allegedly misappropriating Rs 32.33 lakh entrusted to him after an internal audit uncovered a major cash shortfall in the branch vault, police said on Friday.
The accused has been identified as Ravindra Vasant Surve (58), who was serving as the chief cashier at the bank's Bhuleshwar branch since November 2025.
The complaint was lodged by Pranay Moharana, Deputy Branch Head of the Bhuleshwar branch.
According to the complaint, Surve was responsible for handling cash deposits and ensuring that daily collections were properly counted and stored in the branch vault.
Bank officials stated that on June 6, after business hours, Surve was instructed to verify and deposit the day's cash collection in the vault as part of standard procedure.
Refusal to count cash raises suspicion
The complaint alleges that Surve refused to count the cash and left the branch premises without providing any explanation. He also allegedly took the vault keys with him.
Two days later, on June 8, Surve reportedly returned to the branch, left the vault keys on the Deputy Branch Head's desk and departed without informing any staff members.
Officials claimed that repeated attempts to contact him by phone were unsuccessful, increasing concerns about the handling of the branch's cash reserves.
Audit reveals major discrepancy
Following the unusual developments, senior officials from Union Bank's regional office in Fort visited the branch and carried out a detailed inspection of the vault.
During the verification process, officials found a significant difference between the cash balance recorded in the bank's records and the amount physically present in the vault.
According to the complaint, branch records indicated that the vault should have contained Rs 43,07,346. However, only Rs 10,73,945 was found during the inspection.
The audit revealed a cash shortage of Rs 32,33,401.
Police launch probe
Based on the complaint, the V.P. Road Police registered a case against the accused under Section 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which relates to criminal breach of trust by individuals entrusted with property in a professional capacity, including bankers.
Investigators are examining branch records, cash management procedures, transaction logs and CCTV footage to establish how and when the alleged misappropriation took place.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing and additional details will emerge after scrutiny of financial records and internal banking procedures.
* This article was originally published here
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