A postman in Ranchi has been suspended after authorities recovered a large number of undelivered letters containing important documents, including Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, bank-related records and legal notices, which had been stored in sacks and scrap instead of being delivered to residents.
The matter came to light on July 3 after several residents complained that they had not received letters and official communications for months. Following these complaints, the postal department initiated an inquiry and identified the accused as Vikas Kumar, an Assistant Branch Post Master (APBM) posted at the Pithoria post office. Officials suspect that he had been hoarding undelivered mail for nearly a year.
During the investigation, Post Office Inspector Deepak Kumar recovered numerous undelivered documents from the postman's bag as well as from sacks and scrap materials found near the post office premises. The recovered items included Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, ATM cards, bank passbooks and notices issued by the Lok Adalat and the Income Tax Department.
Officials said the failure to deliver these documents may have caused significant inconvenience to residents, with some potentially missing important financial and legal communications. Investigators are now examining why the letters were allegedly withheld for such an extended period.
The postal department has suspended the postman and launched a detailed inquiry to determine how long the documents remained undelivered and whether any other officials were involved.
Inspector Deepak Kumar said the accused had been posted at the Pithoria post office for approximately one year.
"He has been posted here for a year. We will have to verify the records to determine whether the hoarding began after his posting or even before that. The investigation is still underway," Kumar said.
A video recorded near the post office premises shows the accused appearing visibly distressed as postal officials questioned him while examining the recovered letters and documents.
Inspector Kumar said strict action would be taken against anyone found responsible. He added that the department would undertake a special drive to identify all pending letters and documents and ensure they are delivered to their intended recipients as soon as possible.
