Bharuch: A major embezzlement scam involving money deposited by small investors in post office savings bank accounts under the Bharuch postal division has come to light. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), Gandhinagar, has registered a case against the then sub-postmaster of ONGC Colony Sub-Post Office, Yasinbhai Abdulbhai Ghanchi, along with 11 other employees for allegedly misappropriating ₹2.81 crore.

Scam Details

According to the FIR, the alleged offences were committed between August 9, 2024, and December 14, 2025. The prime accused, Ghanchi, allegedly abused his official position by collecting investments from customers under Time Deposit (TD) schemes but failed to deposit the amounts into official government accounts, instead siphoning off the funds.

So far, the probe has identified 56 such fraudulent transactions.

Modus Operandi

The accused allegedly issued fake passbooks to customers to maintain their trust. They are also suspected of manipulating entries in the banking software ‘Finacle’ to conceal cash withdrawals.

Investigators further alleged that deposits collected through agents were sometimes accepted without issuing proper receipts. Cheques were reportedly encashed, and the proceeds diverted.

To cover up the embezzlement, funds were allegedly routed to the bank accounts of subordinate staff members and later transferred to the accused’s personal account through UPI transactions, including Google Pay.

The irregularities came to light after an internal alert in December 2025 flagged suspicious transactions. A preliminary review found discrepancies between passbook entries and balances recorded in the core banking system.

Legal Action

The FIR was registered based on a complaint filed by B.Y. Tashildar, Superintendent of Post Offices, Bharuch Division. The case has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Besides Ghanchi, the other accused include Pritambhai Vasava, Bhavesh Patel, Hemant Kumar Sain, and Parth Patel.

The investigation is currently being conducted by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Mukesh Kumar Meena. Officials indicated that the embezzlement amount may rise as the probe progresses. DeshGujarat