Madhya Pradesh: Postmaster Arrested for Duping 20 Depositors of Rs 1.25 Cr for IPL Betting

A sub-postmaster in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district was arrested after he allegedly spent approximately Rs 1.25 crore of depositors’ money on IPL betting, officials said on Wednesday. 36-year-old, Vishal Ahirwar was arrested on May 20 after several contacted the sub-post office located on a railway premises over the completion of their fixed deposit (FD) terms earlier this month.

Government Railway Police police station in-charge Ajay Dhurve told PTI depositors were shocked when the post office employees told them that their FD numbers and account numbers were not existing in the records and there were no FDs in their names.

Depositors who had inquired about their investments were told they the sub-postmaster had allegedly put their money into an IPL betting racket app offering to multiply it fast. Ahirwar was suspended and depositors registered a complaint against him to the police.

Based on the complaints, the police arrested Ahirwar on May 20. During questioning, Ahirwar told the police that he had invested the depositor’s money into the IPL betting racket app that promised quick and rich dividends, the official said.

Several depositors are facing severe financial loss due to the Ahirwar. Varsha, whose husband had invested Rs 9 lakh in the post office, is left in the lurch as her husband and father-in-law died during the Covid-19 crisis. An elderly woman, Kishori Bai, had deposited Rs 5 lakh in the post office for arranging funds for the marriage of her four daughters, but she is now left with nothing, officials said.

Another senior citizen, Parmanand Sahu, who had deposited his retirement benefit amount in the post office considering it as the safest investment option, is now running from pillar to post to recover the money, the official said. Following Ahirwar’s questioning, names of 20 victims have so far come to light who have been allegedly duped of about Rs 1.25 crore, Dhurve said.

A case has been registered against Ahirwar under Indian Penal Code Sections 420 (cheating) and 408 (criminal breach of trust by clerk or servant), the official said. Since the incident has come to light, some more people have also approached police to inform them about their investments made in the sub-post office, he added.

(With inputs from PTI)

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