Think Tank

Fool and Final

Recently I was fooled. And I want to share my experience with you.

In January, 2007, I had gone to Pune on one factory assessment test (FAT). I had taken Rs 2000 in advance from my company. I incurred a total of Rs 9000 (round figure) in expenses. After returning back, I submitted my TA Bill for traveling allowances. I was to receive Rs 7K now. I filled up the TA bill, whose format was this:

Advance received:                       2K

Expenses incurred:                      9K

Amount Received:                       (blank)

We have a facility that one office boy goes to the accounts, brings the money to our desk and gets our signature on the receipt; to make our life comfortable. So when the boy came to me, handed me Rs 7K, asked to check, and got my signature on this receipt, I didn't suspect anything wrong.  

Advance received:                       2K

Expenses incurred:                      9K

Amount Received:                       9K

Six months afterwards, during the audit of the finance department, they have found out one irregularity. According to their records, I was paid Rs 9K finally, and therefore they had not adjusted my advance of Rs 2K. They asked me to return Rs 2K. I checked the TA Bill:

a) Advance received with date:     2K

b) Expenses incurred with bills:     9K

c) Credit:                                   …

d) Net Pay (b-c):                        

e) Amount Received:                   9K

f) Signature:                               (Rahul)

I had not noticed that the accounts people had not adjusted my advance. But I had received only Rs 7K! As accounts people can't do such mistakes, there was only one possibility: the office boy kept Rs 2K with him. He has been working here for long, and takes interest in such matters. In fact he is very much into the finance things.

I checked it with all possible sources, everywhere it is registered that the company paid me Rs 9K. But I had received only 7K. Now I have to pay the remaining 2K from my pocket. I can complain against that boy, but I am not going to do so because of this reason: The incident happened 6 months back, and don't remember everything for 100% sure. I may be 99% sure that the boy cheated me, but what if he was innocent? Rs 2K is not a big sum for me, but it is most of his monthly salary. I risk helping a cheater, and my decision to pay from my pocket may not be ethically correct. But I want to give him a benefit of doubt. There was my own mistake in the matter also, as I didn't check the Final TA bill and was made a Fool.