A multi-crore scam has jolted the Postal Department in Nagpur district, revealing a deep-rooted fraud in which funds deposited by farmers and ordinary citizens under various post office savings schemes were siphoned off by trusted officials. The revelations have sparked widespread anger and panic among depositors in rural areas.
The scam surfaced after two separate cases were registered against postmasters — Sindhu Vijay Balbudhe and Vinod Thakre (40), a resident of Shembekar Layout, Saoner — for large-scale embezzlement of public money. The complaints were lodged by Mala Balwant Ingole (52), a resident of Sindi Umri, and Balaji Pandurang Shetwad (34), Sub-Divisional Inspector, Postal Department, residing at Ghogali, Nagpur.
In the first case, postmaster Vinod Thakre allegedly cheated dozens of villagers, including complainant Mala Ingole and her husband. After selling their agricultural land, the couple deposited ₹9 lakh in July 2024 under a fixed deposit scheme on Thakre’s assurance of “higher interest returns.” However, Thakre failed to issue a valid passbook, manipulated records, and later tampered with documents to cover up the fraud. Investigations revealed that Thakre’s deceit extended to over 80 villagers, allegedly siphoning off crores of rupees in the name of post office investments. Following Ingole’s complaint, Narkhed Police registered a case against him under charges of cheating, forgery, and criminal breach of trust.
In the second case, woman postmaster Sindhu Vijay Balbudhe is accused of misappropriating deposits from Recurring Deposit (RD) and Sukanya Samriddhi accounts. Instead of crediting the money into official postal accounts, she allegedly diverted the funds for personal use. The fraud was exposed when an account holder discovered a discrepancy — a balance of just ₹1,200 instead of ₹4,600. A departmental audit later found that Balbudhe had embezzled ₹9,65,250 belonging to 24 account holders. Based on Inspector Shetwad’s complaint, Katol Police booked her for criminal misappropriation and falsification of government records.
Police officials said both cases are under investigation and that the total scam amount may rise as more victims come forward. The fraud has severely shaken public trust in rural postal institutions and highlighted serious lapses in the Postal Department’s audit and supervision systems.
Authorities have assured that departmental inquiries and criminal proceedings will run simultaneously and that strict action will be taken against those found guilty. Meanwhile, depositors across the district are demanding tighter oversight and immediate compensation for their lost savings.
👉 Click here to read the latest Gujarat news on TheLiveAhmedabad.com