A Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday sentenced a former postmaster in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district on the charge of fraudulently withdrawing money from postal accounts of senior citizens.

The accused. Sangram Keshari Behera, ex-post master (Grade-I), Kujanga Sub-Post Office, under Jagatsinghpur Head Post Office was convicted and sentenced to undergo four-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) with a fine of Rs 55,000 in a case related to fraudulent closure of and withdrawal of money from postal accounts, CBI said in a statement.

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The CBI had registered a case on 17 September 2013 against Behera. It was alleged that during the period from 12 September 2011 to 28 August 2013, by abusing his official position, fraudulently misappropriated Govt. money from four senior citizens saving scheme (SCSS) accounts to the tune of Rs. 19,81,334 by forging signatures of account holders without their knowledge. Further, the accused fraudulently closed the said SCSS Accounts after withdrawing total amounts.

After investigation, a charge sheet was filed on 28 March 2014 against the accused. The Court, after trial, found the said accused guilty and sentenced him accordingly, it added.