BERHAMPUR: An 82-year-old woman, the wife of a school teacher in Christian Sahi of Rayagada town, was found to be living in abject poverty for the past 10 years as her pension was used by a local who allegedly withdrew it in her name.
The matter came to light when a team from a bank visited her hut on Wednesday for life certificate verification of pensioners. The woman, Subhagaman Swalsingh, survived for years by rag-picking. Her husband, Sarang Nayak, a government schoolteacher, died in 2006. With no one to care for her, she applied for family pension with the help of a local, Saroj Bardhan, which was approved in 2015. But she did not receive a single installment of the pension.
Bank officials said that Bardhan, who had reportedly taken her documents, bank passbook and ATM card, regularly withdrew the pension meant for her. They said deposit and withdrawal alerts had long been going to the mobile number linked to the account, a number belonging to Bardhan, now deceased. Life certificates were also submitted annually in the widow’s name.
Meanwhile, Subhagaman lived by the roadside, collecting plastic bottles and scrap to survive. After fracturing her leg in an accident last year, she was unable to stand or cook and now depends on neighbours for food. Despite repeatedly appealing for a government house and her pension, her pleas went unheard.
Residents said she would often ask well-dressed passersby about her pension and housing request, mistaking them for government officials, only to be dismissed as mentally unstable.
Three bank officials arrived at her shanty for her life certificate on Wednesday, drawing the community’s attention. They informed locals that her pension had been deposited regularly since 2015. Shocked, residents contacted the bank, which confirmed that about Rs 15,000 was being withdrawn regularly.
Realising the fraud, a local man, Sukant Swalsingh, lodged a complaint with the Rayagada police, with a copy sent to the bank. Rayagada IIC Kamala Choudhury has registered a case and launched an investigation.
Preliminary findings point to Bardhan, the man who had taken the widow’s documents and ATM card. Bardhan, however, died more than five years ago. With Bardhan dead and his family untraceable, police are now trying to locate his relatives. Meanwhile, the bank has blocked the widow’s account.