Bharuch: A significant embezzlement scandal has emerged from the Bharuch postal division, involving around ₹2.81 crore deposited by small investors in post office savings accounts. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), through its Anti-Corruption Branch in Gandhinagar, has initiated a case against Yasinbhai Abdulbhai Ghanchi, former sub-postmaster at the ONGC Colony Sub-Post Office, along with 11 other staff members.
The allegations state that these offenses took place between August 9, 2024, and December 14, 2025. Ghanchi reportedly exploited his position by gathering investments under Time Deposit (TD) schemes but failed to deposit these amounts into government accounts. Instead, he allegedly misappropriated the funds for personal use.
So far, investigators have uncovered at least 56 fraudulent transactions linked to this case. To maintain customer trust, the accused are said to have issued fake passbooks and tampered with banking software known as ‘Finacle’ to hide cash withdrawals.
Furthermore, it’s been reported that some deposits were accepted without issuing proper receipts. Funds collected through agents were often mismanaged—cheques encashed and proceeds diverted away from official channels.
To mask their actions, the accused routed funds to subordinates’ bank accounts before transferring them into Ghanchi’s personal account via UPI transactions like Google Pay.
This scheme came under scrutiny after an internal alert raised flags over suspicious transactions in December 2025. A preliminary audit revealed inconsistencies between passbook entries and actual balances recorded in the core banking system.
Legal action was prompted by a complaint lodged by B.Y. Tashildar, Superintendent of Post Offices for Bharuch Division. The FIR cites relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act against those involved—including Pritambhai Vasava, Bhavesh Patel, Hemant Kumar Sain, and Parth Patel.
The investigation is being led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar Meena who noted that the amount involved could potentially increase as their inquiry deepens.