Postal, excise officials booked for violating RBI guidelines

Bhubaneswar, April 9: The CBI has booked two postal department officials and a central excise official for violating RBI guidelines by depositing over Rs 36 lakh in some postal saving accounts, an official said on Saturday.

The amount was deposited after the announcement of demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 bank notes.

Kanti Manjari Bhatta, former in-charge of Saheed Nagar Post Office, his colleague Gopal Mahapatra, former postal assistant, and a superintendent of the excise department Soumitra Kumar Sen were charged under sections of criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Corruption Act.

Some other persons were also named in the FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

"Bhatta and Mahapatra abused their official position and fraudulently allowed Rs 36.80 lakh in the postal savings accounts of seven persons at Saheed Nagar post office on November 9, 2016 which was a non-business working day by the postal department after announcement of demonetisation of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes," CBI spokesperson R.K. Gaur said.

The central government on November 8, 2016 had declared Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes as illegal tender.

The official said searches were also conducted at the office and residential premises of the accused including alleged depositors and postal account holders in and around Bhubaneswar which led to the recovery of incriminating documents.

"A bank locker key, documents related to various bank accounts, immovable property (a duplex at Kalinga Nagar in Jajpur district and land at Ugalapada and Patharagadia in Khorda district), and over Rs 4 lakh in cash were recovered," the official said.