Nagpur: A multi-crore scam has rocked the Postal Department in Nagpur district, exposing a deep-rooted fraud in which funds deposited by farmers and ordinary citizens under various post office savings schemes were siphoned off by trusted officials. The revelations have triggered shock and outrage among depositors across rural Nagpur.
The scandal came to light after two separate cases were registered against two postmasters, including a woman, for large-scale embezzlement of public money. The accused have been identified as Sindhu Vijay Balbudhe and Vinod Thakre (40), a resident of Shembekar Layout, Saoner. The complaints were lodged by Mala Balwant Ingole (52), a resident of Sindi Umri, and Balaji Pandurang Shetwad (34), Sub-Divisional Inspector, Postal Department, residing at Ghogali, Nagpur.
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04Oct 2025
In the first case, accused Vinod Thakre, serving as postmaster, betrayed the trust of dozens of villagers, including complainant Mala Ingole and her husband. After selling their agricultural land, the couple had deposited Rs 9 lakh under a fixed deposit scheme in July 2024, on Thakre’s assurance of “higher interest returns.” However, Thakre neither issued a valid passbook nor updated account records, later tampering with documents to conceal the fraud.
Investigations have revealed that Thakre’s deceit extended far beyond a single family, he allegedly duped over 80 villagers, siphoning off crores of rupees under the pretext of post office investment schemes. Following Mala Ingole’s complaint, Narkhed Police registered a criminal case against Thakre under sections of cheating, forgery, and criminal breach of trust.
In the second case, woman postmaster Sindhu Vijay Balbudhe is accused of misappropriating deposits from recurring deposit (RD) and Sukanya Samriddhi accounts. Instead of crediting the money into the postal system, she allegedly diverted the funds for personal gain. The fraud came to light when an account holder, upon checking her balance, found only Rs 1,200 recorded instead of Rs 4,600. A departmental audit later uncovered that Sindhu had embezzled Rs 9,65,250 belonging to 24 account holders.
Based on the complaint filed by Postal Inspector Shetwad, Katol Police have booked Balbudhe for criminal misappropriation and falsification of government records.
Police officials confirmed that both cases are under active investigation and that the total scam amount is expected to rise sharply as more victims are likely to come forward. The fraud has not only shaken public confidence in rural postal institutions but also exposed glaring lapses in the internal audit and supervision mechanisms of the Postal Department.
Authorities have assured that departmental inquiries and criminal proceedings will proceed simultaneously and that the erring officials will face strict legal action. Meanwhile, depositors across the district are demanding tighter checks and immediate reimbursement of their lost savings.
