JOWAI: Not less than 50 individuals who deposited money with the Jowai Post Office fear that they have been cheated.
Several depositors who opened their accounts in the form of Term Deposits (TD) and Saving Deposits (SD) with the Jowai Post Office have alleged that the post office staff have fraudulently misappropriated their hard earned money.
“I had made TD for more than Rs 8 lakh with the Department of Post, Jowai branch and when my account matured, I went to the post office for withdrawal, but the branch postmaster and the staff working there informed me that my account number and the passbook was fake and I never deposited any amount as per database records”, said a lady, who did not want to be named.
According to the woman, she had opened three accounts with the Jowai Post Office and deposited Rs 3,73,015, Rs 1,72, 055 and Rs 2,70,000 in each of her passbooks, but all turned to be fake despite the fact that the passbooks and related documents were issued from the post office.
The woman has to suffer the loss of Rs 8,26,070.
Another victim informed that he and his parents too were cheated by the Jowai Post Office.
“We had deposited over Rs 8 lakh but when I went to meet the postmaster for withdrawal of money belonging to my parents, the postmaster informed me that the accounts were fake”, he said.
“How can it be fake when we had gone to the post office and deposited the amount and the officials themselves had issued us the passbooks”, he questioned. His mother had deposited Rs 3,20,400 and his father Rs 2,67,000 as per the entries in the passbooks.
The man also informed that in his savings passbook, the total amount he had deposited is shown as Rs 2,04,599 but while trying to withdraw the money, the database records of the post office showed a balance of only Rs 60,000 in the first meeting with the post office officials and during the second meeting with the officials, the amount increased to more than Rs 80,000.
The account holders have lodged a complaint with the postmaster and also with the top officials at General Post Office Shillong but there was no response.
It was also informed that the issue came to light only in January-February when they visited the Jowai Post Office to withdraw the matured amount of the term deposits.
“Not only me and my parents, but there are as many as 50 individuals who are facing the same problem”, one of the victims added.
Another victim informed that she had decided to file a police complaint but some staff of the Jowai Post Office told them that if they lodge any complaint with the police, they will not help them to get back the money.
“For many months now, we are waiting for some response and action from the senior officials of the Department of Post, India but in vain”, she said.
“We are confused now as we do not know how to get back our hard earned savings”, the lady said.