CBI Court Convicts Postal Officials in Funds Misappropriation Case

A CBI court has sentenced six accused, including postal officials, to 7-10 years' imprisonment for misappropriating government funds. They were fined a total of Rs. 4.45 lakh. The case, registered in 2009, involved fraudulent documentation and excess payments, causing significant losses to India's Post Department.

In a landmark judgment, a CBI court has handed down sentences ranging from seven to ten years to six individuals, including several former postal officials, for their involvement in the misappropriation of government funds. The convicted include Shiv Ganesh Tripathi and Jawahar Lal, both former Assistant Postmasters, along with Om Prakash Singh, Dile Ram, and Zakir Hussain, all of whom served as ledger clerks at the Banda Head Post Office.

The court has also levied fines amounting to Rs. 4.45 lakh on the accused, with each official required to pay Rs. 70,000, while Prahlad Singh, a private individual involved in the crime, faces a seven-year sentence and a fine of Rs. 95,000. These penalties are in connection with a case dating back to June 9, 2009, when the CBI filed charges after uncovering that the group had embezzled Rs. 11,03,163 by creating false documentation and making unauthorized payments on recurring deposit accounts.

This conviction underscores the CBI's commitment to combating corruption, with the 2010 chargesheet culminating in successful prosecution. The wrongful loss inflicted on the Department of Post highlights the need for stringent measures to prevent similar breaches of trust and integrity in public departments.

(With inputs from agencies.)