Thrissur: A 68-year-old depositor of the scam-tainted Karuvannur Cooperative Bank passed while under treatment. Paulose, a Kottakkakathu native, had met with an accident last August that left him bed-ridden and died on Sunday. His wife alleged that the bank denied funds for the treatment despite having enough money in his deposits.

On August 28, 2024, Paulose was going to a lottery shop near the bus stand at around 7 am when a dog jumped at him. He fell from his bicycle and hit his head on the road. The injury left him unconscious.

Though he was initially treated at a private hospital in Thrissur, financial constraints forced the family to continue treatment at home. On May 10, he was shifted to Perambra Sacred Heart Palliative Hospital but was brought back home last Thursday after his health worsened.

His wife Veronica said they had ₹4 lakh in deposits with the Porathissery branch of the bank, along with a fixed deposit of ₹50,000. They incurred around ₹10 lakh in medical expenses in Thrissur alone.

Despite sending letters monthly to the bank requesting the release of funds, they only received ₹10,000 or ₹20,000 each time. (The bank, still under receivership after the scam was detected, only releases ₹10,000 per month to each depositor to prevent a run on the bank. In special cases, it allows withdrawal of ₹20,000.)

Veronica said the family had to sell off all their assets and now are in debt for ₹5 lakh. She said the bank still holds ₹2.5 lakh in deposits.

Paulose's funeral was held at St Sebastian’s Church cemetery in Porathissery.