Crime / CBI Arrests Absconding Odisha Postal Official in Rs13 Lakh Fraud Case

Bhubaneswar, Aug 27: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an absconding former postal official in Odisha for her alleged involvement in a savings fraud amounting to nearly Rs13.98 lakh, officials said on Thursday.

The accused, Shabda Swain, who served as Branch Post Master at Bonda Post Office, was taken into custody from Bargarh after evading arrest for close to a decade. Investigators said that between 2008 and 2014, Swain misappropriated deposits collected from account holders by falsifying passbook entries and failing to record them in official ledgers.

The case was registered by the CBI’s Anti-Corruption Branch in Bhubaneswar, with charges framed on December 31, 2015. Since then, Swain had been absconding, prompting the issuance of a Non-Bailable Warrant against her in 2022.
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Officials said Swain was finally apprehended while attending a family function in Bargarh. Following her arrest, she was produced before the competent court in Bhubaneswar.

The CBI noted that Swain’s prolonged evasion highlights the challenges of tracking absconding accused in financial fraud cases.