HUBBALLI/KOPPAL: Ever wondered why you never got a response from that all-important job offer or your Aadhaar card or the money order? If you are from Sanganal village in Koppal district, then the chances are that the letters were sent, but they were just not delivered. Suresh Chawadi, 30, the postman, has not delivered hundreds of letters in the last three years. The villagers who suspected something was amiss could wait no longer. They saw red when they saw him enter the post office on Monday. They immediately raided the post office-cum-residence and were aghast to find piles of undelivered letters, some torn, letters of appointments and even Aadhaar cards.
A villager said that they had asked Chawadi several times in the past about the letters they were expecting. But every time he would say there were no letters. “We started getting suspicious after some people did not receive the money orders. When the villagers raided the post office, they also found several letters dating back to three to four years packed in a bag.
As he has siphoned money and taken several other items that came by post, he perhaps did not deliver any letter for fear of being questioned,” the villager alleged. Sanganal village has a population of close to 1,000 and there are many youngsters who had applied for jobs and some of them were waiting for the appointment letters. “I was supposed to attend an interview six months back and the letter was found today when the villagers raided the post office. Chawadi is a central government employee and what he has done amounts to cheating. The villagers had warned him many times,” a job-hopeful said.
The senior officials from the Postal Department have detained Chawadi and have initiated an inquiry. The officials have assured the villagers that action will be taken against Chawadi if he is found guilty. “We have received the complaints from the villagers in this regard and suitable action will be taken. It has also some to our notice that the accused used to take money from the villagers to deliver Aadhaar cards. We will interrogate him and suspend him if he is found guilty,” said a senior official from the postal department. Chawadi is a resident of Rajur Aadur. He had joined postal services five years ago and has been posted at Sanganal since then.