Staffer dupes print media of Rs 15 crore

MUMBAI: A leading print media has filed a FIR on April 30 against an employee for cheating to the tune of Rs 15 crores. The Azad Maidan police have booked Amit Mahekar for cheating (Section 420), criminal breach of trust (Section 408), forgery (Section 465), forgery for the purpose (Section 468), using a forged document as genuine (Section 471), criminal conspiracy (Section 120 (B)) and common intention (Section 34) of the IPC. Mahekar was working as a co-ordinator at the company and had prepared a fake website resembling the company’s domain name and had falsely misrepresented himself as Bureau Chief. The advertisement on the fake website along with his number stated that he should be contacted for getting advertisements published in the newspaper. As per the FIR, Mayekar had taken Rs 15.07 crores from several clients and had promised that the advertisements would be published. The matter came to light when one of the clients approached the authorities of the publication to report about the matter last month after Mahekar failed to publish the advertisement in the newspaper. According to the investigating officer, Vikram Surod, Azad Maidan police station,"Since the advertisement did not get published, the matter was reported by one of the clients through an email to the authorities. Mahekar had asked the clients to issue payment cheques in his name as well his accomplices. The fraud was carried out by Mahekar since 2013. The case was later transferred to the EOW of the Mumbai police. Mayekar is currently absconding. The police are yet to ascertain of other accomplices into the matter.