Retired Postal Officer Sentenced for 32-Year-Old Money Order Fraud Case

A retired sub-postmaster in Noida has been sentenced to three years in prison for a money order fraud case that dates back 32 years. The court found Mahendra Kumar guilty of criminal breach of trust and cheating, emphasizing that returning the embezzled funds does not absolve him of the crime. The case originated when a resident sent money to his father, but the funds were never deposited into the government account. This ruling sheds light on the importance of accountability among public servants.

By Narendra Chaudhary Nov 3, 2025, 15:30 IST

Court Ruling in Gautam Buddh Nagar

In a significant ruling, a court in Noida, located in Gautam Buddh Nagar district, has sentenced a retired sub-postmaster to three years in prison for fraud and criminal breach of trust related to a money order case dating back 32 years.

The court also imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on the convicted individual, Mahendra Kumar, who must serve an additional year in prison if the fine is not paid. This verdict was delivered on October 31 by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM-1) Mayank Tripathi, who found Kumar guilty under sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code.

Referencing a 1988 Supreme Court decision in the case of Ram Shankar Patnaik vs. State of Odisha, the court emphasized that returning the embezzled funds does not absolve the crime. The ruling stated that once criminal breach of trust is established, the return of the misappropriated amount or property does not negate the offense. However, the court may reduce the sentence if the offender repays the misappropriated funds.

According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on October 12, 1993, when Arun Mistry, a resident of Sector 15 in Noida, sent a money order of ₹1,500 to his father, Madan Mahto, in Samastipur, Bihar. At that time, Mahendra Kumar was serving as a sub-postmaster at a post office in Sector 19, Noida.

It was alleged that Kumar accepted the ₹1,500 along with a ₹75 commission but failed to deposit it into the government account. Instead, he issued a fake receipt to Mistry.

When Mistry did not receive the funds, he lodged a complaint with the post office superintendent, Suresh Chandra, on January 3, 1994. An internal investigation revealed that ₹1,575 had not been deposited into the government account, and the receipt was fraudulent. Following this, Superintendent Suresh Chandra filed a complaint against Kumar at the Sector 20 police station.