SBI cashier accused of embezzling crores at Bilha branch; former cash officer Tejavath Thirapattamma produced in court
Raipur
A case has been registered against a former cash officer of the State Bank of India’s Bilha branch on charges of embezzling large sums of money, police and bank officials said.
What happened
The complaint was filed with the bank’s regional office after irregularities were noticed in the Bilha branch’s accounts, and police first recorded the matter at Raipur on 19 January 2026.
An investigation under applicable provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act was initiated after the bank’s internal review and the branch manager’s written complaint.
Allegations and modus operandi
The accused, identified as Tejavath Thirapattamma, was employed as the cash officer at SBI, Bilha branch, and is alleged to have used forged and false entries in internal ledgers and customer accounts to divert funds.
Between 19 January 2024 and 2 January 2025, investigators say deposits and transactions were manipulated and amounts were transferred out of the bank’s general ledgers into other accounts and used for unauthorized cash withdrawals, purchases and personal expenses. The total alleged misappropriation is reported at around Rs 2,06,37,600 (two crore six lakh thirty-seven thousand six hundred).
Investigation and arrest
The bank’s fraud unit and local police conducted a detailed review, traced transactions to third-party accounts and identified suspicious payments used for household expenses, food, consumer goods and other personal expenditures, according to the charge sheet.
Tejavath Thirapattamma was arrested on 26 February 2026 after the misconduct came to light, and the charge sheet was presented before a special court in Bilaspur on 26 May 2026.
Legal provisions invoked
The FIR and charge sheet invoke sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act relevant to criminal breach of trust, forgery, cheating and criminal misconduct by a public servant, as noted in the complaint and subsequent police filing.
Visuals and evidence
The bank produced photographic evidence of the accused and some seized materials along with the charge sheet filed in court.
