Embezzle for car, love: Con ride ends

AHMEDABAD: A man who had persuaded his girlfriend to embezzle money from her company was formally arrested on Wednesday after he recovered from Covid. The accused, Suresh Shah, had bought a car from his share of the proceeds of crime. The victim was Kirit Kulbaria of CTM, who owns a machine-making factory. He had been cheated of Rs 24.7 lakh. Suresh’s accomplices into whose accounts Kulbaria’s money was fraudulently transferred were arrested a week ago. Suresh had tested positive for Covid and was admitted to a hospital.
According to assistant commissioner of police J M Yadav, Suresh, 30, of Satellite, had befriended Kalash Shah on Facebook. Kalash used to work in Kulbaria’s company. “Suresh and Kalash soon began an affair,” an investigator said. Cybercrime cell sources said that Suresh was in a financial crisis. So he told Kalash to use her access to the company’s accounts to steal the money. The money was spilt and parts of it were sent to the accounts of Suresh’s accomplices — Mukesh Shah of Ghatlodia, and Vishaka Shah and her mother Mona Shah of Isanpur.
“Kalash had made a false online entry and had transferred the money. Suresh took his share,” ACP Yadav said. Yadav said that when the false entry came to light in March 2020, Kulbaria lodged a complaint. “We followed the money trail which led us to Mukesh, Vishaka, and Mona,” Yadav said. “We detained the three about a week ago and they admitted that Kalash had transferred the money on the directions of Suresh.” During interrogation, Suresh confessed that he had bought a car with the stolen money. He earlier used to deal in readymade garments, but his business had gone bust.