'Count zeros': Banking glitch makes 20-year-old Noida man world's richest
What's the story
In a bizarre incident, a 20-year-old man from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, found an astronomical amount, described as having 37 digits, credited to his Kotak Mahindra Bank savings account. The staggering figure was revealed by journalist Sachin Gupta on X earlier today. The young man, identified as Deepak, said that he received the amount after his mother Gayatri Devi passed away two months ago.
Initial response
Amount received after mother's death
On August 3, Deepak received a message showing a credit of ₹1.13 lakh crore (₹1,13,56,000 crore). Shocked and confused by the astronomical figure, he shared it with his friends for confirmation and asked them to count the zeros. The next day when he visited the bank to verify this transaction, officials confirmed the mind-boggling balance but informed him that due to its suspiciously large nature, they had frozen access to the account.
Ongoing probe
Investigation launched to determine nature of transaction
The case has now been referred to the Income Tax Department, which has launched a formal investigation. As the news of Deepak's unexpected windfall spread like wildfire, he was inundated with calls from relatives, friends, and neighbors. Unable to cope with all the attention, he switched off his phone. Authorities are investigating whether this transaction was a technical error or banking glitch or if it could be a wild case of money laundering.
Mixed reactions
Incident draws mixed reactions online
The incident has drawn mixed reactions from the public. Some have expressed skepticism, suggesting that it could be a software error or manual entry mistake at the bank. Others have joked about Deepak's newfound wealth, with one person even attempting to pronounce the amount as "One hundred quintillion, one hundred 35 quadrillion, six hundred trillion, 10 million, 23 thousand, five hundred 60, and two hundred 99." Another quipped that the 20-year-old is now richer than business magnate Mukesh Ambani.