Pension fraud in Agra: ₹2.77 crore withdrawn in the name of dead employees

A major pension fraud has been exposed in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra division, where families of deceased government employees continued to receive pension for years even after their death. The beneficiaries allegedly concealed the deaths of pensioners, including teachers, engineers, doctors and clerks, and kept their accounts active to withdraw government funds.

According to the investigation by the Treasury Department, more than 650 fake pensioners were identified in Agra, Mathura, Firozabad and Mainpuri districts. The investigation revealed that a total of Rs 2.77 crore were fraudulently withdrawn from government accounts in the name of deceased employees.

recovery operation underway

After the irregularities came to light, the treasury department started a large-scale recovery campaign. Several families involved have reportedly confessed to the crime and have returned a total amount of ₹2.42 crore so far. However, about ₹35 lakh remains outstanding, and officials are conducting door-to-door recovery drives with the help of Ameens. Notices have also been issued to the managers of those banks where the deceased pensioners had opened their accounts.

Threatened with legal action and auction of property

Chief Treasury Officer Rita Sachan told News18 Hindi that Recovery Certificate (RC) notices have been issued to those who illegally withdraw and spend pension. “If the money is not returned within the stipulated period, arrest and property auction proceedings will be initiated,” he said.

In Agra district alone, a total pension of ₹95.21 lakh was deposited in the accounts of deceased pensioners. Of this amount, ₹83.65 lakh has been recovered, while ₹11.55 lakh is outstanding. Final warning has been issued to the defaulters.

New security measures introduced

To prevent future misuse, the Treasury Department has made it mandatory for all pensioners to submit annual life certificates. Failure to provide the certificate within the time limit will result in immediate stoppage of pension payment.

Banks have also been directed to regularly check the status of account holders and report any accounts belonging to deceased pensioners to the authorities. “This step will ensure that such frauds do not happen again and public money is protected,” Sachan said.

The discovery has sent shockwaves across the sector, leading to demands for tighter monitoring and digital verification systems for future pension disbursements.