Worried About Past Fraud Cases: Can I Be Held Accountable Years After Leaving My Job?

I was in the Department of Posts, India as a Postal Assistant from 2006 to 2010, then joined Income Tax as an Inspector in 2010 after submitting a technical resignation. In the Department of Posts, I was posted in the Head Post Office and made entries of all the savings bank transactions done by the sub-post offices. During that time, a few frauds were committed by the counter clerks in the Sub Post Offices, and they are under prosecution.

Concern About Past Fraud Cases

Can the Department of Posts take any action against me for the frauds committed by other officers after so many years, especially since I left the department almost 6 years ago? Please enlighten me on this matter and refer me to certain books and rules regarding this issue.

Regards

Going by the facts that you have shared, it emerges that you have not committed fraud in your personal capacity. However, the question arises as to whether the alleged fraudsters were your subordinates or not. The second question is whether the alleged fraudsters worked in other departments while you were privy to their shadowy deals. If either of these scenarios is proven, the DoP may take action against you for failure in supervision. The manner in which the fraud was discovered and the identity of the discoverer are also significant. Furthermore, were you called to testify in the departmental inquiry, and has the inquiry been concluded? If the alleged fraudsters are prosecuted and the DoP does not sue you, then why are you feeling uneasy?

At this stage, you should ascertain the developments in the inquiry. The decision on whether disciplinary action will be taken depends on the findings of the inquiry report.

Lastly, jurisprudence and the principles of natural justice cannot be disregarded based on the passage of time since the fraud was committed. Regardless of the number of years that have passed since the fraud came to light, it must be investigated, and the culprits must be held accountable.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar