Mumbai: 82-year-old fights man who duped wife of Rs 1.14 crore

Complainant Jaydev Divecha

Jaydev Divecha, 82, uses a walker to negotiate his spacious home opposite the Oval Maidan. The retired architect's unsteady gait belies his firm resolve and determination.

Divecha has just had the satisfaction of witnessing the arrest of a man, Bernard Carrasco, who allegedly cheated his late wife of Rs 1.14 crore after getting hold of her power of attorney.

"It happened on July 11 at 3 am. The police went to his Kalbadevi home and swooped down on him. The Azad Maidan police where I had filed the complaint nearly two years ago, called me to tell me of the arrest the next evening. I simply though to myself - mission accomplished," Divecha said.

According to Divecha, Carrasco, 40, first met his late wife Jasmine Divecha, 89, who passed away in January this year, at the Holy Name Cathedral, Colaba in 2013. "He was waiting at the gate and happened to see her. They struck up a conversation. He was soon helping her in matters like banking and taking care of her accounts. My wife's vision was failing and her memory too, was suspect. She was also gullible and believed that a Christian church-going man could do no wrong," Divecha alleged.

Bernard Carrasco

'I want my money back'
Divecha, who retired in 2014, had no clue about the pilfering that was going on, until two years ago. "In 2015, I realised that Carrasco had made my wife give him the power of attorney, signed cheques, transferred money to his name, liquidated fixed deposits and sold shares. This was a massive fraud, which amounted to R1.14 crore. By the time I asked my wife, she had lost her memory. She did not even realise her mistake. She used to weep and say, 'I want my money back'," he recalled. When Divecha reached out to Carrasco, he told him, "your wife wanted to give me the money." Divecha said, "That is a lie."

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No trivial pursuit
Divecha first filed a police complaint at Azad Maidan police station on December 9, 2015. However, it was converted to an FIR only six months later on June 9, 2016. "I made so many trips to the police station. It took one-and-a-half years for the police to arrest him," says Divecha.

"He was in police custody immediately after his arrest, but now he is in judicial custody. He may get bail, but I have put him behind bars. The police told me that Carrasco has bought three flats, two in Goa and one in Borivli, with this money. After his arrest, his family did visit me, pleading with me to withdraw my complaint, but I said that I would think about it," he said.

When contacted, an Azad Maidan police station spokesperson confirmed the arrest. "He is now in judicial custody," the police officer said.

Calls to Carrasco's family elicited no response. His brother, who refused to be identified except as 'Mr Carrasco' said, "I am unwell and will talk about this later."

A copy of the FIR

Determined husband
Speaking to mid-day, Divecha's Pune-based son Amresh said, "That is my determined father for you. I did have misgivings about Carrasco, but since I live in Pune, I was not completely involved with the case." He added, "In this story lies a message for senior citizens that you should never trust blindly and double check credentials of the person offering to help you."

Divecha echoed similar sentiments. "I have enough money of my own.

Yet, I want to shame this man because I do not want him to do this to others," he said.