Kozhikode: In a major relief for Kozhikode Corporation, the Punjab National Bank (PNB) on Thursday returned Rs 2.53 crore that was found missing from various accounts in the bank.

However, the deposit was returned a day after Kozhikode Corporation filed a police complaint against PNB’s employee for swindling more than Rs 98 lakh. It was alleged that MP Rigil, a former branch manager of their PNB Link Road Branch, was behind moving deposits from the Corporations' accounts to his personal account.

The disparity in deposits came to light during the auditing of the corporation. Following this, a complaint was lodged with the bank and the police. But the preliminary investigation by the bank officials found that only 98 lakh rupees were lost. At the same time, the corporation remained steadfast in its complaint that two and a half crores of rupees had been lost. After the detailed inspection, it was confirmed that Rs 2.53 crore had been stolen from the corporation's account.

The incumbent bank manager has also filed a complaint against Rigil for embezzling money. The town police have registered a case against him for breach of trust and fraud. The police have also reached the bank and collected the account transaction information.

In October and November, Rijil allegedly transferred the money to his father's PNB account and his Axis Bank account. He is a senior manager at Punjab National Bank and is currently under suspension.