Clerical error turns ₹20,000 into $20,000, costs Kerala University nearly ₹16.5 lakh
Thiruvananthapuram: A clerical mistake during an international fund transfer has left Kerala University’s Centre for Latin American Studies facing a financial loss of nearly ₹16.5 lakh, making it one of the institution’s costliest administrative errors in recent years.
The error occurred in June 2023, when the institution paid money for four online lectures given by a Brazilian journalist. The Times of India reported that a bank employee misinterpreted the rupee symbol as a dollar sign and transferred the approved honorarium of ₹20,000 as $20,000, resulting in a significant debit from the university's account.
University officials said the transaction was carried out through the State Bank of India’s Tejaswini branch at Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram. The amount was credited to the bank account of Kathleen Martinic, wife of the invited speaker Milan Sime Martinic.
The discrepancy was discovered in 2024 and the Centre informed the university authorities and contacted the lecturer. Gireesh Kumar, head of the Centre, said Martinic had initially assured officials that the excess amount would be returned. However, the refund was never received, despite later claims that the money had been sent back.
Efforts to recover the funds have since been complicated by Martinic’s death a few months after the transfer, which was made on June 15, 2023. Officials said this has significantly reduced the chances of recovering the money.
The funds were part of a ₹20 lakh grant sanctioned by the state government for a student exchange programme. After the money was received, Kathleen Martinic reportedly transferred it to the account of a consulting firm.
The Centre has approached the banking ombudsman, but the issue remains unresolved. While SBI has acknowledged the error, it has asked the university to help persuade the recipient to return the excess amount.
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Case registered against UP woman for hiding Pakistani nationality to get job
Uttar Pradesh: Police have registered a case against a woman in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly concealing her Pakistani nationality and securing a job in the basic education department, officials said on Thursday.
The FIR was registered at Azim Nagar police station following a complaint by the Basic Education Department after an internal inquiry revealed irregularities in her appointment. The accused has been identified as Mahira Akhtar, also known as Farzana, NDTV reported.
According to police, the woman had been working as a teacher at a primary school in Kumhariya village. Anurag Singh, Additional Superintendent of Police, said she allegedly obtained the job by submitting a fake residence certificate despite being a Pakistani national.
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"An FIR has been registered under sections 318(4) (cheating by dishonestly), 336 (legal provisions), 338 (forgery of valuable security) and 340 (fraudulent) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating and forgery,” police said.
Police said the woman had married a Pakistani national in 1979 and subsequently acquired Pakistani citizenship. After getting divorced, she allegedly returned to India on a Pakistani passport and married a local man around 1985.
Around the same time, she took up employment in the Basic Education Department by projecting herself as an Indian citizen.
Following the revelation of her Pakistani nationality, the department suspended her and later dismissed her from service.
The case was registered based on the department’s report, and that further investigation is underway. No arrest has been made so far, police said.
