E-Paper
Two postal officials siphoned off ₹1.2 cr from 293 beneficiaries in Yadgir: Police
Police said the two officials opened eight post office bank accounts in the names of their friends and also purchased at least 7 sim cards. They used to borrow the official user IDs of at least seven of their unsuspecting colleagues to access the Indian Postal Payments Bank.
Bengaluru
One postal employee died by suicide while another is on the run after police in Karnataka’s Yadgir district filed a case of cheating against the two for defrauding and siphoning off money from the accounts of beneficiaries in the district, about 491 kms from Bengaluru, officials said.
Two postal department officials, who joined work in the Balabatti branch in Gogi police station limits, had so far taken out ₹1.27 crore in the last one year, according to the district police officials.
“There are around 8,000-10,000 beneficiaries from around 60-70 villages under government schemes including those meant for differently abled. One was the branch post master and the other his assistant. They chose 293 beneficiaries in the Gogi branch as it is the main office and took out money,” a police official said, requesting not to be named.
The official added that the two opened eight post office bank accounts in the names of their friends and also purchased at least 7 sim cards.
“Several of these beneficiaries have not linked their phones with these accounts and do not get intimations when money goes out or into their respective accounts. These two opened eight accounts and used the newly purchased sim cards to link them to get an OTP and password to pull out money,” the official added.
They used to borrow the official user IDs of at least seven of their unsuspecting colleagues to access the Indian Postal Payments Bank which can be accessed only by employees to carry out the transactions.
Soon after the postal officers discovered the fraud, they probed both around June 10, a day before the case was filed.
A case of cheating has been filed in the Gogi police station, the The police official quoted above said.
He said that the postal inspectors asked them about the fraud and the two admitted to it and assured to return the money. They also told them that a case will be filed against them for cheating beneficiaries and their own department.“The postal assistant assured them of returning the money. But he possibly got scared and feared loss of reputation in his village and took his own life by consuming poison a day before the case is filed,” the official added.
On the day the assistant died, the postal inspector left the village and is yet to be traced, police said.
(If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.) Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918
.
