Jaipur: While many across the country have been complaining of ATMs running dry of cash it was a windfall gain for few people who withdrew cash from a Bank of Baroda ATM in a Rajasthan town, about 80 km from capital Jaipur on Tuesday evening.
As per a media report, Jitesh Diwakar, a resident of Tonk in Rajasthan was happy that he will be able to draw money on hearing the whirring sound of ATM. He however was not prepared for what followed – the ATM dispensed Rs 70,000 instead of Rs 3,500 he had typed in.
Diwakar was among the few people who turned richer after the malfunction of the ATM, but he was the only person who chose to inform the bank about the malfunctioning cash-dispensing machine. All others who had visited the ATM before him went home with extra cash, thanking their lucky stars.
Diwakar immediately called his father who arrived with his uncle and they informed the bank manager about the malfunction. By the time bank officials shut down the ATM near the collector’s office, it had dispensed Rs 6.76 lakh and around 10-odd people supposedly walked home richer.
Tonk Harishankar Meena, chief manager of the bank’s collectorate circle, said 2000-rupee notes were loaded in the slot meant for 100-rupee notes, resulting in the malfunction.
“Technically, Rs 2,000 notes cannot be loaded in the Rs 100 cassette as the sensors won’t accept it. That’s why we have called technical experts to investigate how this happened,” Meena said.
The bank will reportedly file a complaint with police against the people who took away the excess cash and that efforts were on to identify them and procure the extra money, said Meena.
The local shopkeepers have said that people seemed all smiles while walking out from the ATM.
