Mumbai Police book retired naval commander in Rs 8-lakh cheating case

A retired naval commander, who was also chairman of the Navy Recruitment Board, was booked for cheating a man on the pretext of a job offer as an unskilled labourer at the naval dockyard.

A retired naval commander, who was also chairman of the Navy Recruitment Board, has been booked for cheating a man on the pretext of a job offer as an unskilled labourer at the naval dockyard in Mumbai.

A view of the Mumbai naval dockyard. A retired naval commander has been booked for cheating a man on the pretext of a job offer at the dockyard.(AP Photo)

The Cuffe Parade police said the retired commander, along with his daughter, cheated the aspirant of Rs 8 lakh in 2012.

The commander retired last year and at the time of the alleged incident was employed with the force as the chairman of the Navy Recruitment Board.

The police are not ruling out the possibility of this being part of a larger job racket in the naval dockyard.

Highlights

Police said the retired commander, along with his daughter, cheated the aspirant of Rs 8 lakh in 2012.

Police are not ruling out the possibility of this being part of a larger job racket in the naval dockyard.

A police inspector confirmed a case has been registered against the retired commander.

An officer from the Cuffe Parade police station, on condition of anonymity, said, “The aspirant Adhinath Kale got a call from the naval dockyard in 2012 and was asked to be present for the selection process.

“He met the commander in the dockyard, where he was asked to pay Rs 8 lakh for the job of an unskilled labourer.”

In the same year, Kale allegedly gave the commander Rs 5 lakh in a hotel at Colaba, and after three days, the remaining Rs 3 lakh was collected by his daughter, he said.

“The ex-navy man originally hails from Rajasthan, but as we got his Gurgaon address, we have summoned him for a statement.

An officer said, “After that the accused began ignoring his calls. The aspirant, who is a Dombivli resident, had registered a complaint with the police sand following investigations a case was registered.”

Senior police inspector Rashmi Jadhav from Cuffe Parade police station confirmed a case has been registered against the retired commander.

A senior official of the Indian Navy, who did not wish to be named, told HT the case had no connection with the force, and stressed police will investigate the matter.

Another police officer said: “The ex-navy man originally hails from Rajasthan, but as we got his Gurgaon address, we have summoned him for a statement.”

The accused has been booked under sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).