Post Office Agent Escaped With Huge Money
A small savings agent attached to Kovaipudur post office in the city outskirts siphoned off a huge amount of money and disappeared leaving scores of customers in the lurch. The fraudulent act came to light after senior superintendent of post offices (SSP) Gurunathan received a few complaints from customers.Several of the cheated customers are widows and retired persons living in and around Kovaipudur who had joined the recurring deposit scheme and monthly income scheme (MIS) of the postal department. Sources said that the Mahila Pradhan Kshetriya Bachat Yojana (MPKBY) agent Sumathy had been mobilising money from customers under various schemes. It is said Sumathy and her husband Shyam moved closely with the customers and won their confidence. After gaining their goodwill, the duo obtained their signatures on blank withdrawal forms.
“Though Sumathy was the agent, her husband was the man behind the whole act of collecting and remitting amounts at the post office besides distributing monthly interest to customers,” Jeyalakshmi said adding, “I had deposited Rs 6 lakh in MIS.” Srividya, a customer, said that swindling of huge amounts singlehandedly was impossible and Sumathy would have had the connivance of some staff at the post office. Kovaipudur sub-postmaster Sivakumar said that the SSP was investigating the case.
A customer showed the savings bank deposit slip wherein Rs 60,000 was paid but the amount was not credited. However, the passbook at the post office showed that the account had been closed. Meanwhile, Gurunathan has placed the savings bank clerk at Kovaipudur post office under suspension pending enquiry. Gurunathan said he had sent a report to District Collector recommending cancellation of the agent’s licence. It maybe noted that MPKBY agents are appointed by the respective District Collectors and his PA is entrusted with monitoring the agents.
