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The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) carried out extensive search operations at 19 locations across Gujarat on November 29, 2024, in connection with multiple cases of government fund misappropriation linked to post offices. The action follows investigations initiated by the ED based on various FIRs filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), according to a press release issued on Sunday.
The investigations primarily focus on fraudulent activities involving Sub Postmasters and private individuals who allegedly conspired to misappropriate large sums of government funds. In one of the cases, it was found that Sub Postmasters, in collusion with an accomplice, fraudulently reopened previously closed Recurring Deposit (RD) accounts. They then illicitly closed these accounts, misappropriating government funds amounting to Rs 18.60 Crore from 606 RD accounts.
In another case, the accused, while serving as a Sub Postmaster, used a criminal conspiracy to embezzle Rs 9.97 Crore over a period of three years, from October 16, 2019, to November 21, 2022. The method involved the manual entry of fake payments through SAP (Departmental Software), listing payments under old Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) principal amounts and interest, which were never actually made.
A separate case involved fraudulent actions at the Ravalwadi post office, where closed RD accounts were reopened multiple times under different names and higher denominations. The fraudulent actions included forging RD closure documents and diverting the closure amounts into new accounts, while simultaneously accepting deposits from customers without actually opening new accounts in the official system.
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Further investigations have revealed a series of fraudulent activities at the Surajkuji Sub Post Office in Jamnagar, where the then Sub Postmaster used forged documents to misappropriate Rs 2.94 Crore in government funds. Additionally, criminal conspiracies at Chotila Sub Post Office and Surendranagar Head Post Office led to the misappropriation of Rs 1.57 Crore.
During the searches, ED officers seized approximately Rs 1 Crore in cash and identified immovable properties worth more than Rs 1.5 Crore. As per ANI, further investigation into these cases is ongoing, with additional details expected in the coming days.
(With inputs from ANI)
