50 people allege ₹1.5 crore embezzled from their Varanasi post office accounts

If the money missing from the savings accounts, as claimed by the account holders, were taken together, the amount may be over ₹15 million ( ₹1.5 crore), said a postal department official who refused to be named.

Over 50 people complained on Thursday that funds were embezzled from their savings accounts at the Varanasi head post office, postal department and police officials said.

Over 50 people complained on Thursday that funds were embezzled from their savings accounts at the Varanasi head post office.(PTI)

If the money missing from the savings accounts, as claimed by the account holders, were taken together, the amount may be over ₹15 million ( ₹1.5 crore), said a postal department official who refused to be named. He was quick to add that exact figure will be clear after a probe.

The complaints were lodged with the superintendent of post offices at the office of the post master general, Varanasi region.

Post master general, Varanasi region, Pranav Kumar confirmed the development and said he has ordered a probe in the matter.

“The matter is being probed. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty,” he said. Four postal department employees have been suspended.

PR Saroj, superintendent of post offices, Varanasi (west postal division), suspended postal assistants Sunil Yadav and Vinay Yadav and two supervisors Rajesh Kumar and Ramshankar Lal of the head post office.

A senior postal department official, who refused to be named, said, “Over 50 people (account holders) lodged such complaints. These complaints have been recorded and a probe is being conducted.”

Police registered five cases against half-a-dozen unidentified employees under Section 406 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (breach of trust by government employee, banker or agent) and 420 (cheating and dishonesty) of the Indian Penal Code in this connection.

Additional superintendent of police Anil Kumar too confirmed the development and said, “A thorough investigation will be carried out. Strict action will be ensured against anyone who will be found guilty.” He also said he would personally monitor the probe.

A postal department official said that over 100 people visited the post office to check the balance in their respective accounts and were given the information they sought.

A depositor, Sapna Keshari, resident of Pandeypur in Varanasi, said she came to know that ₹800,000 ( ₹8 lakh) had gone missing from her over two-decade old savings account at the head post office in Varanasi on Wednesday when she went to the post office to withdraw around ₹5,000.

“I wanted to withdraw ₹5,000 from my savings account at the post office. When I submitted a withdrawal form at the withdrawal counter, the officials told me that only a few hundred rupees were left in the account. I was shocked,” said Keshari, who visited the post office on Thursday too.

“Will I get my hard earned money back?” she asked.

Sunny Keshari, another resident of Pandeypur and an account holder at the same post office, claimed ₹952,000 ( ₹9.52 lakh) was missing from his savings account. Likewise, Kavindra Nath Shah, a retired employee of the irrigation department, said ₹1.1 million ( ₹11 lakh) was reportedly missing from his account with the post office.

Showing his savings account passbook, he said, “I worked hard and saved about ₹12 lakh in around a decade. I deposited my money in the savings account at the post office. In June, I withdrew ₹100,000 ( ₹1 lakh) for a fixed deposit. Today, I visited the post office for withdrawing ₹1,000 and asked the official to tell me the balance in my account. He told me that my account had a balance of just ₹8,903.”

Shah lodged a complaint with superintendent of post offices immediately in this connection.

As the news spread, other accountholders reached the head post office to check the balance in their accounts. Over 50 account holders found that the deposits were missing from their respective accounts. All of them lodged a complaint with the superintendent of post offices at the office of the post master general, Varanasi region.

The account holders demanded action against those who embezzled the funds from the saving accounts.

Seven people, including Devesh Kumar Agarwal, Rajesh Kumar Keshari, Sapna Keshari, and Sunny Keshari, filed a complaint at the Cantt police station in Varanasi, alleging that some unidentified employees of the department of post embezzled savings from their accounts in connivance with a postal agent.

The role of a postal agent in the whole matter was quite suspicious, according to an official.

Action will be ensured against him as well, a senior official of the postal department said, adding that the agent used to assist people open accounts in the post office and help them fill forms and deposit funds.

CAPTION: Account holders and others at the Varanasi head post office

DETAILS OF SOME ACCOUNT HOLDERS

Accounts holders Funds missing

Amita Singh ₹1.7 million

Rammohan Rai ₹1.1 million

Veena Jaiswal ₹1.1 million

Lallan Singh ₹516,000

Ajay Thapa- ₹650,000,

Omprakash Keshari ₹900,000

Rajkumar Keshari ₹800,000

Arun Kumar Srivastava ₹400,000

Rukhsana Beghum ₹339,000

Vimal ₹500,000

Deeru ₹800,000

Annu Chauhan ₹552,000

Rajat Rai ₹300,000,

Kavindra Nath Shah ₹1.1 million

Sapna Keshari ₹800,000