In a significant judgment, a court in Gautam Buddh Nagar has sentenced Mahendra Kumar, a retired sub-postmaster, to three years of imprisonment for his involvement in a 1993 money order fraud. The court found him guilty of cheating and criminal breach of trust, imposing a fine of ₹10,000 with an additional year of jail time if the fine is not paid. This ruling serves as a stark reminder that even long-past offenses can lead to stern legal consequences, underscoring the principle that public servants are held to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.
The case, which dates back over three decades to October 1993, involved a money order of ₹1,500 sent by Arun Mistry to his father. Mahendra Kumar, then the sub-postmaster at a Noida post office, accepted the funds and commission but failed to deposit the money into the government account. Instead, he issued a forged receipt. When the intended recipient never received the funds, an inquiry was launched, revealing the fraud. Kumar subsequently admitted his wrongdoing during a departmental investigation and returned the embezzled amount. The court, referencing a Supreme Court judgment, emphasized that the refund of defalcated amounts does not erase the offense, stressing that such acts weaken the government system and erode public trust.
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