PANAJI
A postmaster from the neighbouring Sindhudurg, arrested for siphoning Rs 8.37 lakh approx of 135 depositors at the Morjim branch, has been granted conditional bail.
Narayan Bhage, posted as the Branch Post Master of Morjim branch post office is charged with accepting cash from the depositors over a period of more than two years but failing to credit it to their respective bank accounts.
The Pernem police, who arrested the accused from the check-post on August 10 have charged him with committing criminal breach of trust and cheating various depositors as well as the concerned authority.
The prosecution while opposing his bail plea submitted that the accused “ currently in judicial lock-up - did not cooperate with the investigation in police custody and refused to divulge any details regarding the method adopted by him to dispose of the siphoned amount.
“The passbooks of the victims, that is, the depositors who are 135 in number are required to be attached as these are not yet handed over by the complainant Authority (Inspector of Posts, Mapusa sub-division). If the accused is released on bail, then there is a possibility that he may threaten such witnesses who are crucial to the case and deprive them of giving their statement to police against him, and he may even jump the bail,” the State said.
JMFC Pernem Shabnam Pratap Nagvekar however opined that no grounds were made out for rejecting the bail plea. While granting him bail accompanied by a set of conditions to comply during his bail period, the Court directed the accused to report to the Pernem police station from August 18 to August 22 from 10am to 1pm.
