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 six months ago came to light when Laxman, who was present at the Grievance Day program on Monday, appealed to District Collector B Satyaprasad for justice.
Laxman, a former employee of the Sriramsagar project who retired in 2011, received a monthly pension of Rs 45,000. He sought help from Dikonda Tirupati, a local youth, to withdraw the money from his bank account. Taking advantage of Lakshman’s trust, Tirupati linked his own mobile number to the pensioner’s account. Over time, he siphoned off Rs 20,000 a month using a digital wallet and payment app, leaving Laxman unaware of the transactions.
The fraud was discovered six months ago when the account was almost empty when Laxman’s wife tried to withdraw money after breaking her leg. After learning that Tirupati had withdrawn around Rs.18 lakh, they informed the local police. Although Tirupati confessed to the crime and promised to return the money, he failed to do so, prompting Laxman to intervene with the district collector.