14 lakh deposit not returned: How will Sasidharan leave hospital after Nemom Cooperative Bank cheating him?

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ''My hard-earned money is lying in the Nemom Service Cooperative Bank. I did not earn it by cheating anyone. I worked as hard as I could in good times. But today, even in such a bad situation, that money is not reaching me..." Sasidharan, a resident of Pravachambalam Netaji Nagar, who suffered a stroke a week ago and is undergoing treatment in a private hospital, cannot bear this pain anymore.

72-year-old Sasidharan is one of the victims who did not get their deposits back after the bank scam worth crores. Sasidharan had deposited Rs 14 lakh. Now there is no capital, no interest. Sasidharan has no idea how he will pay the bill when he is discharged from the hospital today. The bank has washed its hands.

Sasidharan, a CPM member, is also a member of the area committee of the farmers' association. Sasidharan deposited the money along with his pension as per the request of the CPM-led governing body. He was in the ICU for two days after suffering a stroke. His wife Ramadevi's relative was the one who paid for his admission. A huge amount was spent on scanning and medicines.

Sasidharan, who was an assistant maintenance engineer at the Cinema Development Corporation, deposited Rs. 9 lakh in the bank when he retired in 2010. Two years ago, the bank president asked him to deposit some more. So Sasidharan deposited the remaining savings of Rs. 5 lakh. Sasidharan calculated that he and his wife could live without depending on his two sons. The bank was on the verge of collapse at that time but Sasidharan was persuaded to deposit again by hiding this fact. The deposit fraud in the bank came to light last year. Sasidharan went to the bank several times to get the deposit back, but to no avail. The only support is his EPF pension of Rs. 1700. There was no result despite complaining to the party area committee and state committee.