PMC Bank account holder loses Rs 30 lakh, succumbs to stroke

79-year-old was stressed about the uncertainty over withdrawing his life savings

Distressed over losing his entire savings of Rs 30 lakh in the Punjab & Maharashtra Co-operative Bank scam, 79-year-old Bharat Mankermi, who had recently suffered a stroke, succumbed on Friday.

"From the time the doctors diagnosed the slurred speech and loss of balance as signals of stroke, my father-in-law had been in and out of the hospital. We spent almost Rs 18 lakh on his treatment, but he could not get over the trauma of the financial loss and his full recovery was an uphill task," said Nilesh Asher. Asher, 54, added that the family accepts the fact that at 79, Mankermi was not as hale as a youngster, but they also firmly believe that at his age, the trauma was too great for him to bear.

Following the scam, a number of things, such as his inability to get an assurance from the authorities that his funds would be safe and he would be able to withdraw them, affected his health. "We have been able to withdraw only R2 lakh from the account. That too was given only on humanitarian grounds. It barely covered the cost of my father's basic medication. Now I am concerned about my mother Bhavana, who is 73 years old and alone. The bank employees knew my father well and did come home to offer condolences, but the lip service is not going to pay for the medical expenses we have incurred," said Madhvi Asher, Mankermi's daughter. The family feels lucky and blessed to have had sufficient finances for Mankermi's treatment. They are hopeful about the release of not just their but all account holders' funds.

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