Mumbai: Suspended Manager Arrested for Embezzling ₹20.57 Lakh, Accomplice on the Run

The Bangur Nagar Police have arrested a suspended manager, identified as Pratiksha Vartak, for allegedly misusing her position and the company’s credit facilities to commit financial fraud. She has been remanded to police custody till Thursday, 11 December, in connection with the cheating case. A ticket-booking employee, Omkar Prabhale, who allegedly assisted her in the fraud, has been named as a wanted accused, and police have launched a search to trace him. The duo is accused of using company funds to enjoy domestic and international trips with five friends, causing a loss of ₹20.57 lakh to the company.

According to the complaint, Pranav Anil Pawar, a resident of Mira-Bhayandar and a legal officer at Selten Smart Solution Pvt Ltd, reported that the company works with a travel agency named Caro Trip to provide flight, bus, hotel bookings, holiday plans and business tour arrangements. Caro Trip extends the company a credit facility of up to ₹5 lakh, along with a set commission per booking. The travel agency’s main office is located in Malad, where Pratiksha served as branch manager and Omkar worked as ticket-booking executive.

Pratiksha was responsible for all financial transactions of the branch, and due to her efficient work, the company owners placed significant trust in her. In October 2023, she informed company director Shobhana Singh about receiving a major booking. Around the same time, she allegedly transferred money from the company’s bank account to her personal account. When this came to Singh’s notice later, she questioned Pratiksha, but received no response. This led to a full audit of the company’s financial records, which revealed that Pratiksha and Omkar had siphoned off large sums of money.

Investigations revealed that between 2 February and 11 May 2024, Pratiksha and Omkar misused the company’s credit facility to spend ₹6,53,417 on leisure trips for themselves and five friends. Additionally, without seeking permission from the company owners or directors, Pratiksha transferred ₹13,31,685 and ₹72,500 to her personal account through net banking. In total, the duo allegedly embezzled ₹20,57,602 from the company. Following these revelations, both employees were suspended, and the directors instructed Pawar to lodge a police complaint.

Based on the complaint filed at Bangur Nagar Police Station, an offence of cheating and criminal breach of trust was registered against Pratiksha and Omkar. Pratiksha, who was absconding for nearly one and a half years, was finally arrested. She was produced before the court, which remanded her to police custody until Thursday. Meanwhile, Omkar Prabhale remains on the run, and police have launched a special operation to track him down.