A 40-year-old woman working as an operational manager in a private bank was duped to the tune of Rs 37 lakhs by two people who took money on the pretext of giving her job in Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as Company Secretary at BKC office. In the FIR (Mid-Day has accessed) the complainant Kusum Kulchandra, 40, housewife and a resident of Malad, has stated that she was working with the bank located at Borivali as an operation Manager from 2012 to 2016. In 2015, one of her colleagues from the current account sales team, Kiran Hedunkar, approached her stating that his niece, Mrudula Surve, works as an auditor at RBI's BKC office and she is trying for a placement. Kiran further told her that she should also pay Rs 2.25 Lakhs and secure the job at RBI, which will give her better pay, just like Surve.
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According to Kulchandra, Kiran generated her interest in the job and forced her to pay the money. Kiran also arranged a meeting with Surve near Kulchandra's office, where Surve told her that she should make the payment to secure the job at RBI. After Kiran and Surve explanation, Kulchandra transferred Rs 2 Lakhs into Surve's bank account.
Kulchandra then received an offer letter from Surve via mail, which stated that she has been offered a job as the company secretary on 12 September 2016. She asked for a date of joining, to which she was told that it would take 3-4 months. Kulchandra also paid an additional Rs 19,000 to Surve for the job. Meanwhile, Surve told her that she should transfer all her money, shares and locker from her current bank account to RBI or else she would lose out on the job.
Kulchandra was scared of losing out on the job, and hence she transferred her money, shares, mutual trust and others to Surve's account, which amounted to Rs 35.64 Lakhs. However, later when things were not going the way she was promised by the accused, she realized that she was duped on the pretext of a job and a high salary. On September 25, she approached the Borivali Police and filed an FIR. The police have arrested Surve and Kiran and charged them under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code for cheating and forgery. The cops are currently investigating as to where did the accused transfer or use the money. Investigations on whether the two have duped other people in a similar manner are also being carried out by the police.
