Police foils bid to siphon off Rs 26 cr by forging signature of TMC Commissioner
Thane, Mar 10 (UNI) The City Police has registered a criminal offence against unidentified persons, who allegedly forged the signatures of Thane Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal and Medical Health Officer RT Kendre, to withdraw more than Rs 26 crore from the bank account of Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC).
Giving details, police said here on Saturday that TMC receives funds from the government to operate various schemes of the Health department and the account is operated by the Reproductive Health and Family Welfare Society, of which the Commissioner is the Chairman and the Health Officer is the Secretary.
According to the complainant, the society operates an account in Punjab National Bank's Naupda Bank branch.
Police said that TMC officials received a call from the bankers, saying that they have received a cheque dated March 5, 2019 from Kondwa, Pune branch of the PNB on Seva Society, for an amount of Rs 12 crore.
As the amount was very high, the bank officials checked up with the TMC officials, who replied in negative. On checking, the cheque, as well as the signatures of both the Commissioner and the Health officer, apart from the stamp, were found to be totally forged.
Again on March 6, 2019 an unidentified man deposited a cheque dated February 28 for Rs eight crore drawn on LIBRKAN I Pvt Ltd, in the HDFC Bank of Chennai, which also came for reference to TMC and was found to be forged.
Police said that on March 8, 2019, TMC was referred yet another cheque, dated March 5, 2019, for Rs six crore, drawn on Seva Foundation, deposited with Kondwa branch of HDFC Bank. In this case also, the cheque was found to be forged, it added.
Hence, the total amount attempted to be siphoned off using the forged cheques were to the tune of Rs 26.5 crore, police said.
On a complaint by the TMC accountant, offences under Sections 465, 467, 468, 471, 472, 474, 489A and 489B of IPC were registered, while no arrest was made in this connection, police added.
Image: Thane City website
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