3 days ago
Oil company employee connives with tour operators to forge bills and embezzle funds
Mumbai: The Cuffe Parade police arrested a senior employee of a well-known oil company on the charges of embezzling Rs 1.18 crore. The employee allegedly connived with a few tour operators, forged travel bills, misused corporate credit cards, generated fake invoices and duplicate bills for services that were either never rendered or already settled.
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While police arrested Pranali Prashant Jadhav alias Chande (34), who worked as an official for the travel desk, they are looking for six more persons, including a few inside employees and tour operators. The oil company, which has its head office at Cuffe Parade, said that Pranali Jadhav handled the travel desk. While managing travel arrangements for the company's directors, promoters, and employees between August 2022 and September 2024, she colluded with the owners of Arthak Tours Management — Mahesh Vijay Parse and Madhuri Mahesh Parse — to submit forged and duplicate bills for services that were either never rendered or already settled.
The scam came to light recently when two separate bills for travel made by one of the company's directors, Varun Daga, raised suspicions due to duplication. An internal audit spearheaded by Mukesh Devpura, along with HR Admin Jigar Shah and a finance executive, revealed systematic overbilling and collusion.
"During the internal probe, it transpired that Jadhav, in connivance with other absconding accused, submitted duplicate invoices for already-paid travel bookings.
Bills were altered — including changes to invoice numbers and amounts — and resubmitted as new claims. Travel expenses for unrelated employees were falsely claimed under the company's name, rewards and credit points from the company's credit cards were used for personal bookings, and then fake bills were generated to seek reimbursement," said an official.
Further investigation of the money trail revealed that Jadhav used company-issued credit cards to transfer ₹35.59 lakh to her own Paytm wallet, from where the money was allegedly sent to her husband, parents, and friends.
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Payment links generated by Arthak Tours Management were used to funnel another ₹38.41 lakh via the company's credit cards.
Police said Jadhav was arrested after she failed to provide any satisfactory answers or documentation during questioning. The police noted her responses were evasive, irrational, and indicative of deliberate deceit. She was charged under Sections 316(2), 316(4), 316(5), 318(4), 344, 61(2), and 3(5) of the Indian Penal Code — provisions dealing with fraud, forgery, criminal conspiracy, and embezzlement. Police said they are looking to arrest her accomplices — Mahesh Vijay Parse and Madhuri Mahesh Parse.
They are now working to trace the financial transactions, collect forensic evidence from digital devices, and identify how corporate systems were exploited without detection for two years. MSID:: 121535857 413 |
