Hyderabad: CBI books postal department staffer for siphoning off social security pensions

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad anti-corruption unit of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has lodged an FIR against a postal department employee for siphoning off social security pensions and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) funds.
The CBI registered the case against K Bharadwaj under sections of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, misappropriation and criminal misconduct on Thursday.
Earlier in July 2022, a first fraud case had been booked against Bharadwaj and he was arrested in that case.
Mahabubnagar division superintendent of post offices filed a fresh complaint alleging Bharadwaj — while working as sub-post master in Koilkonda Sub Office — conspired with others to misappropriate funds to the tune of Rs 61 lakh from May 2020 to October 2020.
The accused falsified the entries of payments in the system applications with different back dates.
The postal records of NREGS and social security pensions were falsified.
After an internal probe, the postal department confirmed the fraud and lodged complaints.
The CBI is looking into the role of other accused employees and private persons who assisted Bharadwaj in executing the fraud.
Bharadwaj is under suspension.
Officials checked on all the places he had earlier worked and found that he resorted to similar modus operandi in Koilkonda apart from Mahabubnagar.
In the previous FIR, the CBI found that the accused Bharadwaj, along with another accused, K Laxmikanth, misappropriated money to the tune of Rs 2.45 crore while working in the Mahabubnagar post office.
The duo made false entries and siphoned off their social security pension.