Cops probe fake bus insurance racket

MUMBAI: A case of cheating and forgery has been registered at Sion police station after Sachin Chalke, the area manager of an insurance company, filed a complaint after he was presented with a fake bus insurance certificate.

Pradeep Salekar, assistant police inspector,from Sion police station, said that the fraud came to light after an accident took place on December 19, 2016 on Sion Bridge. Pratap Yashraj Parihar, 31, who was riding a motorcycle, was hit by a bus owned by Sayog Yatra. Parihar succumbed to his injuries and a case of negligence and rash driving was registered against the bus driver Wilson Varghese KV who was thereafter arrested and the bus was impounded.

During the investigation, an insurance certificate from the insurancecompanywasfoundon the bus. “We sent the accidental death report and a claims case to the motor accident claims tribunal court. Chalke then approached us claiming the certificate was a fake. They checked the registration number and found it was forged. The agent who made the certificate also could not be found,” said Salekar.

The certificate indicated that the Sayog Yatra bus service took out an insurance of ₹9.60 lakh for the year 2016-17. The bus service also had a premium receipt of ₹48,000 for the same.

“We registered a case and are further investigating the matter. The bus firm owners claimed that the agent approached them and accordingly they had taken out the insurance,” said Salekar.

FAISAL TANDEL