CBI court in MP sentences ex-post office employee to 5-year jail term for fraud

New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS) A CBI court in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur has convicted and sentenced a former Sub Post Master of Khimlasa Sub Post Office, Sagar district, to five years’ rigorous imprisonment for misappropriating more than Rs 70 lakh from depositors’ accounts, the agency said on Friday.

The court on Thursday sentenced accused Vishal Kumar Ahirwar, who was serving as Sub Post Master at Khimlasa during 2020–22, to five years’ rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 32,000.

According to the CBI, a case was registered against Ahirwar on November 17, 2022, following allegations that he had misused his official position to siphon off funds by manipulating withdrawal processes.

Between June 23, 2020 and March 19, 2022, Ahirwar allegedly prepared forged withdrawal slips and falsified entries in account passbooks.

"As a result, the accused Vishal Kumar Ahirwar caused a wrongful loss of Rs 70.97 lakh to the government exchequer and corresponding gain to himself," the CBI said in its press statement.

After completing the investigation, the CBI filed a charge sheet against the accused before the Special Judge for CBI cases, Jabalpur, on November 23, 2023.

During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence showing how Ahirwar systematically carried out the fraudulent withdrawals over a period of nearly two years.

"The Court, after the trial, convicted and sentenced the accused accordingly," it said.

Notably, the Special Judge, CBI Court, Ghaziabad, via its judgment and order dated September 25, convicted and sentenced Manoj Srivastava, Branch Manager, Union Bank of India, SSI Branch Noida, to four years imprisonment with a fine of Rs 30,000/- in a Rs 40 lakh bank fraud case.

According to the CBI, it registered the case on December 14, 2010, against Manoj Srivastava, Branch Manager, Union Bank of India, SSI Branch Noida and others on the allegation of Bank Fraud.

Such cases reflect the agency’s focus on tackling corruption and fraud in financial institutions that directly impact public funds.

--IANS

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