The embezzlement of Rs 21.59 crore by a contractual employee of the Divisional Sports Complex, Harshkumar Kshirsagar, has shaken the entire state. During the investigation, the city police are uncovering new facts in the case with every passing day. It has been revealed that Harshkumar and his parents, Anil and Manisha Kshirsagar, had devised a foolproof plan to embezzle the money from the divisional sports department. Despite attempts to deter Harshkumar from committing such a crime, his parents and maternal uncle supported him in transferring the funds into various bank accounts.
On Tuesday, the city police arrested Anil and Manisha from Murdeshwar in Karnataka, while Harshkumar was arrested at Nizamabad Railway Station, as he was planning to escape to Nainital. Along with these accused, the police also arrested Harshkumar’s maternal uncle, Hitesh Ananda Shardul (35, Malegaon Camp, Nashik), on Wednesday. His parents and uncle have been remanded into police custody until January 5.
Harshkumar worked as a contractual computer operator in the Divisional Sports department. He embezzled Rs 21.59 crore from the department by sending a forged letter to the bank, instructing them to release the funds in his name on a fake letterhead of the department. Using his computer skills, he sent the letter to the bank from a fake email ID, altering an official email from the department. By November, the department was unaware of the huge scam. However, discussions about the scam began when discrepancies were found during the audit.
As Harshkumar realized the scam would soon come to light, he applied for a passport for his father at the Nashik Passport office. A case was registered with the city police in the second week of December, and the Kshirsagar family failed to flee. Harshkumar's girlfriend and two others were previously arrested by the police. During the investigation, it was revealed that Harshkumar had transferred lakhs of rupees into the bank accounts of his parents, accomplices, girlfriend, and maternal uncle.
