The postmaster of Behala sub-post office, where residents of the area had invested and lost more than Rs 3 crore, was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday night. The scam came to light only after the scamster’s reported death in Gomukh.

Golap Jha’s arrest occurred within 12 hours of the CID taking charge of the investigation. CID inspector-general P.N. Saha said his department took charge of the case on Tuesday after one of the duped investors complained that he was cheated of Rs 9 lakh by the post office.

“Apparently, the postmaster was directly involved in the scam. We have enough evidence against him,” Saha said.

About 35 investors deposited more than Rs 3 crore through Asish Dutta, alias Tapan, “the local agent employed by the post office”. One of the investors, N.G. Karmakar, however, denied on Wednesday that he had levelled charges against the postmaster.

Last week, Dutta’s family said that he died at Gomukh following a cardiac arrest earlier this month. “Apparently, Dutta’s death certificate, produced by his family, is genuine. We are contacting the authorities concerned to get the details,” Saha said. On Jha’s role, the inspector-general said: “We became suspicious because he went to the house of some depositors to return their monthly interest.'

Two postal scams — one at Jadavpur and another at Baguiati — had come to light earlier, but only the agents were involved in both cases, Saha said.