A multi-crore scam has rocked the Postal Department in Nagpur district, exposing a massive fraud in which trusted officials allegedly siphoned off funds deposited by farmers and ordinary citizens in various post office savings schemes.
The shocking revelations have sparked anger and disbelief among depositors across rural Nagpur.
The scandal surfaced after two separate FIRs were filed against two postmasters, including a woman, for large-scale embezzlement of public funds. The accused have been identified as Sindhu Vijay Balbudhe and Vinod Thakre (40), a resident of Shembekar Layout, Saoner. 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 betrayed the trust of dozens of villagers, including complainant Mala Ingole and her husband. After selling their agricultural land, the couple deposited ₹9 lakh in a fixed deposit scheme in July 2024, on Thakre’s assurance of “higher interest returns.” However, Thakre neither issued a valid passbook nor maintained proper account records, later manipulating documents to conceal the fraud.
Investigations have revealed that Thakre’s deception extended far beyond a single family — he allegedly duped more than 80 villagers, siphoning off crores of rupees under the guise of post office investment schemes. Following Mala Ingole’s complaint, Narkhed Police registered a case against Thakre 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 depositing the money into official accounts, she allegedly diverted the funds for personal use. The fraud came to light when an account holder discovered that her balance showed only ₹1,200 instead of ₹4,600. A subsequent departmental audit found that Sindhu had embezzled ₹9,65,250 from 24 account holders.
Based on the complaint filed by Postal Inspector Shetwad, Katol Police have charged Balbudhe with criminal misappropriation and falsification of government records.
Police officials confirmed that both cases are under active investigation and that the total scam amount is likely to increase as more victims come forward. The fraud has not only eroded public trust in rural postal institutions but also exposed serious lapses in the Postal Department’s audit and supervision systems.
Authorities have assured that departmental inquiries and criminal proceedings will move forward simultaneously, and that strict legal action will be taken against those found guilty. Meanwhile, depositors across the district are demanding tighter oversight and immediate reimbursement of their lost savings.
👉 Click here to read the latest Gujarat news on TheLiveAhmedabad.com