Former aide of Mumbai gangster convicted for cheating banks

The prosecution claimed that Keluskar had approached around 10 banks for housing loans for the same flat in 2003.

A sessions court on Tuesday sentenced Pramod Keluskar, a former aide of gangster Ashwin Naik, to four years’ imprisonment for cheating a bank by obtaining a housing loan. It, however, acquitted three other accused. He was also asked to pay a fine of Rs16,000.

A sessions court on Tuesday sentenced Pramod Keluskar, a former aide of gangster Ashwin Naik, to four years’ imprisonment for cheating a bank by obtaining a housing loan (HT File/Representational Image)

He never used the amount to buy the flat and instead transferred the loan money into other bank accounts.

The prosecution claimed that Keluskar had approached around 10 banks for housing loans for the same flat in 2003. He told the banks that he wanted to buy a flat for Rs35 lakh in Hrishikesh Cooperative Housing Society, Dadar, from one Jamunabai Gujarathi.

The prosecution claimed that he had created a false identity documents in the name of Gujarathi and also opened an account in Bank of India under the same name. He with the help of other accused managed to produced false documents to obtain a loan from the bank.

The banks, on the basis of the documents, granted the loan to Keluskar. However, he soon defaulted on the instalments. The case came to light when Bank of India initiated an inquiry.

The bank manager later realised that Keluskar was being probed by the other banks for over housing loans for the same flat. When the bank account of Gujarathi was verified they found out that it was a dummy account and money was transferred to other accounts.

The bank lodged a complaint with the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai police. The police filed a charge sheet against four accused: Keluskar, Amish Desai, Sanjeev Sethi and Prakash Babare.

Public prosecutor Vina Shelar had examined 19 witnesses, including bank managers, investigating officers and members of the housing society.

Keluskar has been sentenced to suffer imprisonment for four years and also asked to pay fine of Rs16,000.