Mumbai crime: CA held for taking Rs 3 cr out of dead client's account

Mumbai crime: CA held for taking Rs 3 cr out of dead client's account

The Azad Maidan police have arrested a chartered accountant for allegedly transferring cash from the account of his client Patrick Saldhana, 82, who had passed away seven months ago. The fraud came to light after the vigilance department of HSBC bank's fort branch, where Saldhana had a bank account, discovered that the documents submitted for the transfer of the cash into other accounts were forged. The bank conducted investigations and then approached the police to register an FIR. Three people, including the CA Quresh Morbiwala, have been named in the matter.

"Initial investigations revealed that the accused had used forged documents to get their hands on the money. We also learned that at least Rs 3 crore of the total Rs 7 crore in the account had been transferred. Saldanha's account has now been frozen and Morbiwala has been arrested and is in police custody till September 26," said a police officer from Azad Maidan police station.

Saldhana had died after a massive heart attack on February 18. Following this, Morbiwala and four others named in the FIR decided to take over Saldanha's deposited assets amounting to more than Rs7 crore by preparing a fake power of attorney and issuing delivery instruction slips with forged signatures of the deceased to transfer the money into their own bank accounts. This fraud is suspected to have been perpetrated between March and August and the matter was reported to us on September 8 after bank officials discovered the fraud," an official said.

The official said, "A case of cheating and forgery has been registered against three people in the matter and two are out on anticipatory bail. As investigations proceed, suitable action will be taken."