Post Master bungles huge cash deposited by investors
Badal Tah,,Odishabarta
Rayagada, March 18: Sheer irregularities and corruption have been made to the tune of around Rs.50 lakhs by Sri Mukesh Choudhury, Branch Post Master in the Branch Post Office, K.Dhamuni in Bissam Cuttack block of Rayagada District. Several poor people including SC & ST families have been issued forged National Savings Certificates(NSC), false pass books containing RD, savings a/c, etc. Huge amount of money had been withdrawn with false signatures of account holders and without their knowledge.
To cite a particular case of forgery, Mukesh has issued a NSC amounting Rs.20000.00 to one Ms.Tulasi Pidikaka, D/o Rama Chandra Pidikaka with several anomalies. The date of issue of the certificate is 31-6-2013. There is overwriting in the month column. It is also unfortunate that Mukesh has mentioned June having 31 calendar days. Upon inquiry at Rayagada Head Post Office it is learnt that there is no such NSC amounting Rs.20000.00 & bearing no-7182143 issued by the Post Office on 31.06.2013. The maturity date of the NSC is 30.09.2023 and maturity value is Rs.40690/-. Mukesh does not know how to calculate the duration as he forged and cheated in this particular case. Tulasi’s father Rama Chandra has complained before authorities like Superintendent of Post Offices & Collector, Rayagada. Apart from this Sri Rasmi Ranjan Dora, an activist scribe has written to Post Mater General in Bhubaneswar, Chief Post Master General at Bhubaneswar, Collector, Rayagada and requested these authorities to inquire into all financial transactions made by Mukesh since his appointment in the postal department with immediate effect. In the complain Rasmi Ranjan has warned to use other monitoring instruments like Central Vigilance Commission, CBI and Lokpal to unearth this racket and great scam.
Sri Hrushikesh Labala, S/o-Late Damodara Labala, also from Kumbhar Dhamuni, filed an FIR against the tainted post master Mukesh. The FIR got registered in Bissam Cuttack PS u/s420, 465, 453, 471, 506 & 34. The statements in FIR of Labala mentions that his father Late Damodara Labala was the Ex-Branch Post Master of Kumbhar Dhamuni Branch Post Office prior to the present Post Master Mukesh Choudhury. After the death of his father, Mukesh withdrew all the money amounting around Rs.20,600.00 from his father’s post office savings a/c by putting his false signature. Mukesh also withdrew all the amount from his mother’s a/c no-2202320672 bearing name-Smt Hemabati Labala by putting her false signature. When they complained about this to Mukesh time & again and told to report to his higher authorities, he gave back the amount to his mother without any interest. Similarly Mukesh also misappropriated huge amount of money by opening false postal saving accounts and National Saving Certificates in the names of many investors. When exposed, he started returning part of the investment; but he is yet to return major chunk of money to the investors.
As the immediate postal department staff members at Bissam Cuttack Sub-Post office and Rayagada Head Post Office were hand in gloves with Sri Mukesh, some villagers, who are the investors from Kumbhar Dhamuni village approached Hrushikesh for help. He, along with them, met the district correspondents of several vernacular dailies and electronic media and shared his plight and villagers’ woes. As Mukesh’s forgery was thoroughly exposed, he alongwith Sri Kamala Choudhury, S/o-Sri Fakira Choudhury, Sri Panchanan Choudhury, S/o-Late Madhusudan Choudhury & Sri Nitesh Choudhury, S/o-Sri Panchanan, Choudhury, all belonging to Kumbhar Dhamuni were instigating the local villagers to attack Labala and his family members, the FIR stated. Mukesh & his associates are in revenge mood & saying before others that they will finish Labala off alongwith his family members. So their lives is in danger. Labala has prayed to the police to inquire into the matter, take the hooligans to task and make his life and his family members’ lives secured.
The Superintendent of Post Offices, Rayagada and IIC, Bissam Cuttack are conducting inquiries following a due process.
