Emotional moment Post Office Horizon scandal victim returns to run her West Midlands branch 15 years on

A postmistress who lost her Post Office after being wrongly accused of theft during the Horizon scandal has returned to run her family business - 15 years on.

Rooprit Gill, 56, is believed to be the first victim of the scandal to return to the same branch they ran and says she's doing so in honour of her late dad.

She had helped run Wattville Road Post Office in Handsworth, Birmingham, along with her father Nirmal Singh Kailey - who bought the business in 1976.

But five years into her role of running the branch when it was handed down to her, she was dismissed after a faulty Post Office computer system suggested she’d stolen £46,000 in 2010. 

Her father died before her exoneration and the scale of the scandal was laid bare and Rooprit says she was determined to return to honour his memory.

Hundreds of postmasters and mistresses were falsely accused of theft or fraud in the Horizon scandal between 1999 and 2015. 

Faulty Horizon accounting software, introduced in 1999, falsely indicated financial shortfalls in branches around the country.

Roopie says “My dad's wish before he passed away was wanting it to be ours again”

On August 18, Rooprit, known as Roopie, officially returned to her branch, stepping foot behind the counter for the first time in 15 years.

She said: "My dad was one of the first Asian postmasters outside of London. He ran it with pride and he was gutted when I was dismissed. 

"My dad's wish before he passed away was wanting it to be ours again, that's all he kept saying because he knew I hadn't taken the money.

"It’s for him really, I’m going back to honour him.

“I’m the only one who has come back out of all of them, so far. The chairman told me this morning. It doesn’t surprise me, I was able to thanks to my circumstances of my dad owning the place.

“A few things have changed since. I had to do a bit of online training, quite a fair bit, then office-based training for a week. 

"It's exciting and quite emotional and I'm looking forward to running the place again.

"There have been cheers of delight from customers when they found out that I would be the postmistress again – they are over the moon, and so I am.

"It’s great to be back serving my Post Office customers again."

Rooprit said the scandal left her feeling suicidal having lost her home, her car and witnessing the collapse of her marriage.

She was subsequently wrongly prosecuted for fraud and theft at Birmingham Crown Court in 2012.

She said: "I lost my reputation. The husband and me were arguing constantly. I didn’t want to face anyone so I tried to take my life. 

"Luckily I was found and brought back. It was a difficult time and my husband also passed away.

"I couldn’t pay my mortgage and lost my car, it was a horrible time.

“I think somebody needs to pay for it, one way or another, whether it be Fujitsu, somebody at the Post Office - somebody does need to pay for it. 

“Because people knew what was going on and they let it carry on for a while. That ruined a lot of lives, so somebody needs to pay for some things somewhere.

“They’ve done an interim payment to start with so there is money that has come in, but the full claim hasn’t finished yet."

The scandal has been described as the UK’s “biggest miscarriage of justice”, and burst into the public consciousness with the ITV drama called Mr Bates vs the Post Office starring Toby Jones.

Sir Wyn Williams’ first report said at least 59 people contemplated suicide, 10 attempted to take their own lives, and more than 13 people may have killed themselves due to the scandal.

Post Office chairman Nigel Railton says Roopie’s “experiences were part of a shameful time in Post Office history and I sincerely apologise to her and everyone affected by this scandal”

Nigel Railton, Post Office chairman, said: “I wanted to attend this event to warmly welcome Roopie Gill back as the postmistress for Wattville Road Post Office. 

"Her experiences were part of a shameful time in Post Office history and I sincerely apologise to her and everyone affected by this scandal. 

"I know Roopie is now focused on the future, serving her customers and running a successful branch. 

"It’s my job to make sure she has the tools in place to do so and we are looking forward to working in partnership with her.”

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