Four booked for fraudulently withdrawing ₹48 lakh from govt dept’s bank account

The Maharashtra school education and sports department filed a complaint after around ₹48 lakh was siphoned off from their bank accounts by four people

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra school education and sports department filed a complaint after around ₹48 lakh was siphoned off from their bank accounts by four people. Police officials from Marine Drive police station said the case has been registered based on the complaint lodged by Sunil Hanje, an undersecretary, on behalf of the department.

The Maharashtra school education and sports department filed a complaint after around ₹48 lakh was siphoned off from their bank accounts. (Representational image)

According to the officer, since March the four accused in connivance with each other prepared forged cheques from the bank in which the school education and sports department has accounts. “They also prepared fake stamps and forged signatures of the officials of the department, who were authorised to sign cheques and used the same to withdraw money. In total ₹47.6 lakh has been withdrawn with the help of more than ten forged cheques,” said the police officer.

“We have booked four people identified as Namita Bagh, Pramod Singh, Tapan Kumar Shi, and Zeenat Khatun along with unknown accused who have aided and abetted them in the crime under sections 419 (personation for cheating), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 465 (forgery), 473 (making or possessing counterfeit seal, etc., with intent to commit forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security will etc.) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code,” said a police officer from Marine Drive police station.

The department had given a written application with supporting documents to the Marine Drive police station which registered the offence after permission from DCP Zone 1, Pravin Munde. The police said the department has a bank account in a nationalised bank that has a branch in Nariman Point.

“We have got the address from where the accused have withdrawn the money and where they stay and soon our teams will visit those places to apprehend them,” said the police officer.