workplace harassment and Excess or wrongful payment recovery to Class 3C level emplo

Case 1 I, Pratheesh M P, a Class 3 employee of a Central Government PSU, noticed an unauthorized deduction of ₹1,76,400 from my PF account and ₹4,900 from my salary as the first repayment on 30 May 2024. Upon enquiry, I found that this transaction was based on an application submitted by another individual (M Pratheesh) with the same name but different initials and department. I immediately informed the AGM (Finance) to close the PF loan and refund the deductions.The AGM (Fin) revealed that the other individual who applied for the PF loan had not mentioned his PF ID in the application. As a result, the AGM mistakenly used my PF details, processed the application, and credited ₹1,76,400 to his bank account. However, despite acknowledging the error, the AGM refused to close the loan. It came to light that the other individual had submitted a second application to have the PF amount deducted to close the loan. Since I was on an official tour, I sent an email to the Director requesting the closure of the PF loan and refund of the deducted amount. After receiving no reply, I sent a reminder two weeks later, but it was also ignored. Additionally, the tour advance I requested was not paid, as I refused the AGM’s suggestion to take a PF loan. I then contacted the Grievance Officer via email, stating that neither the Director nor the HoD (Finance) was responding to my emails or calls. However, I faced a similar lack of response. When I called the Grievance Officer to express my concerns, he replied that his rank was below that of the Director, and he could not take action. He merely forwarded my email to the concerned department. The next day, the AGM (Fin) called and proposed that the second PF loan application of the other individual be processed, with the amount credited to my bank account and deducted in three or four installments from my salary to close the loan. I denied this suggestion, as such large deductions would have left me with zero salary for several months, making it impossible to manage my financial obligations, including loan repayments and my family’s daily needs. I requested a copy of the PF loan application submitted by the other individual. Upon verification, I found that the AGM had added an extra "P" to the other person’s initials in the PF loan application, whereas the bank details remained unaffected. This raised further doubts. After returning from the tour, I found no resolution had been provided. Additionally, the HoD (Fin) and AGM allegedly threatened my colleagues, warning them of potential vigilance cases if they supported me. This created a hostile work environment, leaving me mentally distressed and isolated. With no resolution, I documented the events and escalated the matter to the Grievance Redressal Cell ,Central Headquarters. I also approached my departmental head, who instructed the AGM (Fin) to resolve the issue at the station level by arranging a meeting in the presence of the HR head. In the meeting, I was pressured to accept their suggestion. The HOD (Fin) adopted a threatening and harsh tone. Eventually, it was decided that the second PF application of the other individual would be processed, and he would repay the loan. The amount would then appear in my salary slip as "miscellaneous" and be deducted to close the PF loan. I raised concerns about potential income tax implications, but they assured me that they would manage the calculations and pay compensation for any interest loss. By the next salary cycle, they added ₹1,76,400 to my salary slip as a "tour advance" (despite advances not being shown in pay slips) and deducted the same to close the unauthorized PF loan. I waited until 2 September 2024 for confirmation and received ₹3,537 as compensation for the interest loss over three months. ________________________________________ Case 2 In our organization, there are two medical schemes: Scheme A and Scheme B. Under Scheme A, medical reimbursements are provided for OPD expenses upon submission of original bills, with an additional 40% reimbursement for chronic diseases. Scheme B provides a fixed amount quarterly based on a self-declaration, with no requirement for bills or proof. Since my parents are chronic disease patients, I opted for Scheme A. In the month following the resolution of Case 1, I submitted a medical bill under Scheme A. However, the Sr. Manager (Finance) deducted ₹3,562 from the reimbursement. When I enquired, she claimed that I had purchased medicines in excess of the prescribed quantity and conducted lab tests without a prescription. This was despite the HR manual explicitly stating that Scheme A reimburses expenses upon submission of original bills. I requested the return of the unclaimed bills, but they were not returned. I submitted a request letter to the Director seeking clarification on the deduction and return of the unclaimed bills. Two weeks later, I received a letter on plain paper stating that ₹756 had been overlooked and unpaid, and the remaining deduction was due to alleged discrepancies in the bills. Unsatisfied with the response, I submitted another letter citing the HR manual and enclosed another medical bill for my daughter. Two weeks later, the finance department returned this bill, claiming that my daughter’s gender was erroneously mentioned as male. Despite presenting my ID card and service records to prove her identity, they refused to accept the bill. I sought intervention from the HR head, who called the Finance head to discuss the issue. However, the Finance head’s response was dismissive, claiming that I had no right to question their decisions. The HR head attempted to mediate, but the Finance head maintained his negative attitude. Ultimately, I was forced to write an undertaking to resolve the issue. On 2 January 2025, I received a call from M Pratheesh informing me that his medical reimbursement had been credited to my account on 9 December 2024. By then, I had already spent the amount, unaware of the error. Later, I received an email from the Sr. Manager (Finance), with a copy to the Finance Head, stating that the reimbursement had been credited to my account by mistake and would be recovered from my next salary and the payment to M Pratheesh will be paid today 02.01.2025. I am also being charged income tax for the wrongful payment. Summary In both cases, I was not at fault, yet I have faced continuous mental and financial stress since 30 May 2024. Despite repeated efforts to resolve the issues through official channels, I have been subjected to harassment, baseless allegations, and an unsupportive work environment. The Finance Officer has further spread rumors labeling me a troublemaker. My colleagues have distanced themselves from me, perceiving me as a dissatisfied and problematic individual.