On Thursday, Union Minister of Railways and Communication Ashwini Vaishnaw suspended Post Office officer Ramkaran Adivasi of Rewa, Madhya Pradesh for demanding bribe from a customer who had come to the Post Office to collect his ATM card. The officer had demanded a cold bottle of Maaza (mango drink), water and gutkha pack as a bribe from the customer. The Minister condemned the incident on May 5 and suspended the Officer until the further orders.
According to the reports, the incident took place on May 2 in Dabhaura area of cold Rewa, Madhya Pradesh when a customer named Bholenath Pandey arrived at the Post office to collect his State Bank of India ATM card. The Post Officer denied to deliver the ATM card unless his demands that consisted of a cold drink bottle, a water bottle and a gutkha pack were fulfilled.
मध्य प्रदेश के रीवा में पोस्ट ऑफिस अधिकारी ने ‘माजा कोल्डड्रिंक’ न देने पर युवक को ATM कार्ड देने से इनकार कर दिया। इस वाकये का वीडियो वायरल होने के बाद संचार मंत्री अश्विनी वैष्णव ने आरोपी अधिकारी राम करण को सस्पेंड कर दिया है।#AshwiniVaishnaw #IndiaPost pic.twitter.com/iYLDgE29gJ
— Hindustan (@Live_Hindustan) May 4, 2022
Pandey then went out in the scorching heat to purchase the bottle of Maaza drink but could not find it. He then purchased a bottle of similar mango juice drink ‘Frooti’ for the officer. When Pandey reached the office with cold Frooti and water, Adivasi abused him for not being able to find Mazaa. “Even God if found when searched, prayed properly, you could not find a bottle of Maaza? I want Mazaa and no other similar drink”, the officer said.
A video of the incident has appeared on social media where Pandey is seeing pleading with the official to official to accept the bottle of Frooti and give him the ATM card, but Ramkaran Adivasi refused. The official also claimed that Bholenath Pandey has no proof identity, despite the fact that Pandey had showed his Aadhar card, and had produced the consignment number he had obtained from the bank.
Aduvasi also threatened the customer by showing off the power he possessed as a government officer. He denied to deliver the ATM card unless his unusual demands were met.
Bholenath Pandey, a resident of Dabhaura’s Shivpur has his SBI bank account at Dabhura (25 kms from Shivpur). Pandey had arrived at the the post office of Dabhaura Municipal Council for collecting the rectified ATM card with updated KYC details mentioning his residence at Shivpur instead of Dabhura. According to the reports, due to the unkind behavior of the Post Officer, Pandey had to return to Shivpur without the ATM card. He later filed a complaint against the Officer, resulting in his suspension by the Minister of Railways and Communication after the video of the incident went viral.
It is important to note that this is not the first time when a government officer in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh has been exposed for demanding bribe. Earlier in the month of February, the Lokyukt Police had arrested Dhirendra Singh Tomar, steno in the Registry Office in Rewa red-handed for taking a bribe of Rs 12,000 in lieu of withdrawal Rs 1.20 lakh trapped in slot booking.
Also, in the year 2021, an incident of the financial fraud of Rs 1 crore at Rewa Post Office had come to light. According to the reports, the postal audit had revealed that the post officers had not recorded large number of deposits from year 2015 to 2020 to the office accounts. The CBI took over the investigation in the case in July last year and stated that the fraud was committed in 146 accounts under Sukanya Yojana, Monthly income scheme, National Savings Scheme, Recurring Deposit Scheme and Kisan Vikas Patra.
