Jagtial: Retd Staffer Defrauded of Rs 18 Lakh

 Karimnagar: In a shocking incident, a retired government employee, Nakka Laxman, was defrauded of Rs 18 lakh — his life savings — by a local youth in Gandhi Nagar, Jagtial. The incident, which occurred six months ago, came to light on Monday when Laxman attended a grievance day programme and appealed to district collector B. Satya Prasad for justice.

Laxman, a former employee of the Sri Ram Sagar Project who retired in 2011, received a monthly pension of Rs 45,000. He sought assistance from a local youth, Dikonda Tirupati, to withdraw money from his bank account. Taking advantage of Laxman’s trust, Tirupati linked his own mobile number to the retired man’s account. Over time, he siphoned Rs 20,000 monthly using a digital wallet and payment app, leaving Laxman unaware of the transactions.

The fraud was discovered six months ago when Laxman’s wife tried to withdraw money after he fractured his leg, only to find the account nearly empty. They reported the matter to the local police, who found that Tirupati had withdrawn approximately Rs 18 lakh. Though Tirupati admitted to the crime and promised to repay the money, he failed to do so, prompting Laxman to seek intervention from the district collector.