Chandigarh family alleges police apathy in PF ‘fraud’ plaint

A grieving family from Chandigarh has raised serious concerns over police inaction despite repeated complaints regarding alleged fraudulent withdrawals from the accounts of a deceased man.

Jasmeet Kaur, widow of Karanjyot Singh, first approached the Chandigarh Police on September 23, 2024, alleging that funds from her late husband’s Provident Fund (EPF) and bank accounts were illegally withdrawn posthumously using his identity following his death on May 31, 2024.

Despite lodging a formal complaint (ICMS/2024/028160) and submitting supporting documents — including death and marriage certificates as well as bank statements — Jasmeet Kaur reports that no meaningful progress has occurred. “We have given statements multiple times to different investigating officers, yet none of the opposite party’s family members have been called. No FIR has been registered,” she stated.

The family made further attempts for redress by submitting written reminders dated April 29 and July 8, 2025, urging authorities to register an FIR under theft and fraud provisions. The disputed withdrawals include Rs 5.37 lakh on August 14, 2024, and Rs 1.06 lakh on September 17, 2024, transferred from Karanjyot’s EPF account to a personal bank account. The EPFO Enforcement Officer, in an official statement, confirmed the unauthorised transaction was executed posthumously, violating established rules.

The Chandigarh Police reportedly conveyed to the family that the case does not fall under their jurisdiction because the EPF office and bank accounts are based in Delhi. The family alleges that this jurisdictional argument is being used to avoid filing an FIR. “Despite valid documentation and written confirmation of Enforcement Officer, EPFO, Chandigarh, that the funds were withdrawn illegally, no action has been taken for over 10 months,” said Jasmeet Kaur.

As of now, the family continues to seek justice and has urged higher police authorities to intervene to ensure that those responsible for the misappropriation of funds are identified and prosecuted.