Kendrapada, Odisha | November 25, 2025 | A suspended postmaster from Kendrapada district was on Tuesday sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) in a major postal fraud case involving misappropriation of public funds. The judgment was delivered by Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Sarita Mohanty, who also imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on the convict. In case of non-payment, her sentence will be extended by an additional six months.
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Fraudulent withdrawals from 200 postal accounts
The convict, Kaveri Mallick, formerly posted at the Ramanagar sub-post office, was found guilty of illegally withdrawing ₹16,63,883 from the savings accounts of around 200 depositors. The prosecution proved that Mallick had forged the signatures of account holders to make unauthorized withdrawals over an extended period, misusing her official position.
FIR filed in 2022; charge sheet in 2023
The case was registered on March 10, 2022, by then postal inspector Debashis Satapathy at the Jamboo Marine Police Station. Following a detailed investigation, a charge sheet was filed in 2023. During the trial, the court examined 15 witnesses and reviewed several documents before holding the accused guilty under applicable sections of the law.
Similar cases reported in recent years
Incidents of misappropriation by postal employees have emerged repeatedly in Kendrapada and nearby regions:
In 2024, the Special CBI Court in Bhubaneswar convicted Sangram Keshari Behera, former postmaster of the Kujanga sub-post office, and awarded four years’ RI along with a fine of ₹55,000 for fraudulent account closures and unauthorized withdrawals.
Last year, Dipankar Das, postmaster of the Krushnanagar village post office under Talachua Marine Police Station, allegedly fled with his family after embezzling nearly ₹30 lakh deposited by more than 100 customers in postal schemes.
Concerns over monitoring in postal savings system
The recurring instances of fraud have raised questions over the internal monitoring and verification mechanisms within the postal savings system, especially in rural areas where citizens rely heavily on post offices for small savings and government-backed schemes. Residents have urged the postal department to strengthen oversight to safeguard depositor interests.
The Kendrapada CJM court’s ruling is being seen as a strong message against corruption within public service institutions, reinforcing the need for accountability in financial operations handled by government employees.
