Deputy postmaster held in Jharkhand’s Gua for Rs 50 lakh embezzlement to finance gambling

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, Oct 8: In a sensational case of financial misconduct, police have arrested Vikas Chandra Kulila (46), the former Deputy Postmaster of Gua Railway Market Post Office, for allegedly embezzling over Rs 50 lakh from postal savings accounts and blowing the funds on a reckless gambling spree.

According to the investigation, the fraudulent withdrawals were executed between February 1, 2023, and June 19, 2025, amounting to a total of  Rs 50,56,473.

The scam came to light after postal inspector Suman Kumar Samta lodged a formal complaint, following which Gua Police registered Case No. 34/2025 under relevant sections of the IPC and Postal Act.

Subsequent inquiry revealed that Kulila had diverted the embezzled funds to online gambling platforms, including Delta Exchange and Dhoom 999 Casino, where he lost several lakhs.

He also frequented local gambling hubs, notably ‘Murga Pada Habba Dabba’, where substantial sums were squandered.

A forensic examination of his SBI and postal accounts unearthed a series of suspicious high-value transactions, corroborating the charges.

Acting on directives from the West Singhbhum Superintendent of Police, a special team led by SDPO (Kiriburu) Ajay Kerketta conducted a meticulously planned raid at Kulila’s Tungri residence, where he was apprehended in the presence of his wife and two independent witnesses.

Investigators also seized an Oppo Android smartphone, believed to contain crucial digital evidence.

During interrogation, Kulila reportedly made a full confession, admitting that his descent into gambling was triggered by negative social influences in Gua.

Despite belonging to a respectable family, he became ensnared in the city’s gambling underbelly, ultimately leading to a spiral of addiction and financial fraud.

Police are now tracing the money trail to identify possible collaborators and recover the siphoned funds.

The case has sent shockwaves through the local postal department, raising serious questions about internal checks and oversight mechanisms.