A cyber scammer stole Rs 90,000 between June and July from the bank account of Laila Rustom Jehangir, 62, one of the two daughters of billionaire Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry, owner of one of the largest business conglomerates in the Shapoorji Pallonji group. An FIR has been registered at the Colaba Police Station.
According to the Colaba police station, Laila, who lives in Dubai, had authorized her father Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry to manage the account on her behalf.
In 2018, Mistry authorized the director of his company, Firoz Bhatena, to take care of all the financial activities of Laila’s account. Bhatena, in turn, had entrusted the account to the company’s deputy general manager (accounts), Jayesh Merchant, 60.
The merchant’s mobile number was registered with the bank to receive SMS alerts on every transaction from Laila’s account, Colaba police officers said.
Since the account was quite old, transactions were made only via checks, and the bank did not issue any debit or credit cards for Laila’s bank account in question, the Colaba police officer added.
A police officer from the Colaba Police Station said: “Jayesh Merchant, who registered the complaint, said that on July 1 and 2 he received SMS alerts of withdrawal of money from Laila’s account. When he checked with the bank, they informed him that around Rs 90,000 was spent or withdrawn on multiple debit card transactions in June / July. “A copy of the merchant’s complaint is in the Hindustan Times.
“The merchant, who told the bank manager that there was no debit card issued on this account, was shocked when he was informed that a debit card was issued in the name of the director of the Bhatena company in 2018, and the card was mailed to the company’s Colaba office. The same debit card was used to withdraw money. Merchant told Bhatena about the development, who told him that he was not aware of any debit card being issued, after which a complaint was filed, ”the officer added.
Police in their preliminary investigation found that the card was used multiple times, once at a Lucky Restaurant and once at a New Arife Lamoulde patisserie. Police would be checking the CCTV at these locations and would also make inquiries to track the card user, the police officer said.
An FIR has been registered under section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and 66C (identity theft) and 66D (cheating per person using computer resources) of the Information Technology Act against a suspect not identified.
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