Domestic Help Booked For Stealing ₹40,000 From Income Tax Officer’s Mumbai Home

Mumbai: A domestic help has been booked for allegedly stealing Rs40,000 from the home of Manpreet Singh Dugal, 43, an Additional Commissioner with the Income Tax Department currently posted in Delhi. The incident occurred at Dugal’s residence in Ghatkopar (West), Mumbai. The accused, Ankita Kadam, 30, a resident of Parksite, Vikhroli (West), has been charged, and the Parksite police have initiated further investigation.

According to the FIR, the Dugal family has been living at the address for the past eight years and has installed CCTV cameras throughout the house for security. Kadam had been working at their home for the past four years, handling cleaning, household chores and minor tasks related to the children. Her daily work hours were from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

On November 30, Kadam reported for work as usual. On the same day, Dugal’s wife had brought home Rs40,000 to pay their daughter’s swimming competition fee. She kept the cash inside a small bag placed on the dining table while Kadam was present in the house.

At around 11:30 a.m., Dugal, his wife and their daughter left for Goregaon (West) to pay the competition fee. However, upon opening the bag, they realized the cash was missing. Assuming the money might have fallen somewhere at home, they returned without paying the fee.

After returning, Dugal checked the CCTV footage and reportedly saw Kadam opening the bag at 10:37 a.m., taking it to the storeroom, removing the cash, hiding the empty purse in an upper shelf, and later placing the purse back on the dining table.

Convinced that Kadam had taken the money, Dugal and his wife confronted her the next morning when she came to work. Kadam initially denied any wrongdoing but later returned the Rs40,000 that had been hidden in the storeroom.

Further review of past CCTV footage allegedly showed Kadam taking minor household items by concealing them in trash bags.