Mumbai: The Matunga police have arrested a Yes Bank deputy manager from its Thane branch for allegedly aiding cyber criminals in routing money through deceitfully opened bank accounts. Pragati Atul Kshirsagar (27) is the sixth person to be arrested in connection with a cyber fraud case involving a senior citizen from King Circle who was duped of Rs. 5 lakhs.
The matter first surfaced in April when the complainant registered an FIR against unknown persons in a cheating case. As per the FIR, the accused posed as SBI bank officials to dupe the victim.
Through the investigation, led by PI Keshav Wagh of the Matunga police, they realized that the bank accounts to which the fraudsters transferred money belonged to commoners who had no idea what their accounts were being used for. This prompted them to check the authenticity of the bank accounts.
Last week, police arrested five individuals in connection with the case. They were identified as Rahul Umale, who provided his bank account details to someone in exchange for money; Arbaaz Shaikh, Amin Shaikh, and Rahim Shaikh, who collaborated to use these accounts for fraudulent activities; and Kalim Ansari from Palghar, who received a major portion of the ill-gotten money, allegedly playing a central role in the gang.
During interrogation, police sought information on how these accounts were created using others' personal details. The suspects revealed the involvement of Pragati, employed as a deputy manager at Yes Bank's Thane branch.
According to police reports, Pragati, like her colleagues, was under pressure to open 70 salary accounts per month. Failing to meet this target for two consecutive months, she allegedly collaborated with Amin and Rahim to create fraudulent bank accounts. They reached an agreement where Pragati received a share of the proceeds for her assistance.
Pragati was produced in Kurla court on Tuesday and remanded to police custody for further questioning. Authorities have identified six bank accounts created by her and used by other suspects. The police suspect the existence of more such accounts and are set to interrogate further to determine their involvement in cybercrime. Pragati previously lived in Dharavi before relocating to Jui Nagar in Navi Mumbai."
