PRAYAGRAJ, July 13 -- A case of alleged large-scale financial fraud has come to light in Kaushambi district, where the operator of a State Bank of India (SBI) customer service point (Tiny Branch/Sahaj Jan Seva Kendra) in Dahia Amirsa village under Sarai Akil police station limits is accused of fleeing after allegedly embezzling crores of rupees deposited by customers. According to police, the accused, Amit Kumar Verma, a resident of Dahia Amirsa village, had been operating the SBI-linked customer service point (Tiny Branch) and accepting deposits from local residents as well as customers from neighbouring villages. The alleged fraud came to light after Verma reportedly went missing along with his wife and children on the night of May 6-7, prompting worried depositors to launch a search for him. One of the complainants, Shanti Devi, alleged that she had deposited Rs.30,000 at the centre, while her husband Ramkishun had deposited Rs.15,000. Among the other depositors, Phoolmati claimed to have deposited Rs.8,000 and Reena Devi Rs.18,000. Sangita Devi, a resident of Gauhani Kala village under the Charwa police station limits, alleged that she had deposited Rs.2.98 lakh through an account opened at the SBI-linked customer service point. The complaints alleged that the operator had collected deposits from numerous consumers over an extended period and fraudulently withdrawn the money from their accounts before absconding. They further claimed that when they approached the accused's family members for information, they refused to reveal his whereabouts. The depositors also expressed dissatisfaction with the response of SBI officials, alleging that they had received little assistance in resolving the matter. After failing to trace the accused, the victims approached inspector general of police Ajay Mishra and submitted a complaint. Acting on his directions, the Sarai Akil police registered an FIR on Saturday evening and launched an investigation into the alleged fraud. Police said efforts are underway to trace the accused, with raids being conducted at suspected hideouts. Investigators are also assessing the scale of the alleged embezzlement and verifying the number of depositors who may have been affected. Deputy superintendent of police (Chail) Shivank Singh said an FIR had been registered at Sarai Akil police station based on a complaint filed by the affected depositors. "The investigating officer has been directed to conduct a fair investigation into the allegations and take appropriate action against those found guilty," he said....