Odisha: Ex-Postmaster Sentenced To 4 Years RI For Misappropriation Of Senior Citizens’ Savings

Bhubaneswar: A Special CBI Court in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday sentenced a former postmaster in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district on the charge of fraudulently withdrawing money from postal accounts of senior citizens.

The accused Sangram Keshari Behera, ex-post master (Grade-I), Kujanga Sub-Post Office, under Jagatsinghpur Head Post Office was convicted and sentenced to undergo 4 years rigorous imprisonment (RI) with a fine of Rs 55,000 in a case related to fraudulent closure of and withdrawal of money from postal accounts, CBI said in a statement.

The CBI had registered a case on September 17, 2013 against Behera.

It was alleged that during the period from 12 September 2011 to 28 August 2013, by abusing his official position, fraudulently misappropriated Govt. money from four senior citizens saving scheme (SCSS) accounts to the tune of around Rs 20 lakh by forging signatures of account holders without their knowledge.

The accused also fraudulently closed the said SCSS Accounts after withdrawing total amounts. After investigation, a charge sheet was filed by the CBI on March 28, 2014 against the accused. The Court, after trial, found the accused guilty and sentenced him accordingly, the CBI informed.