In what could be the tip of the iceberg of a multicrore rupee scam, the MRA Marg police recently registered a case of cheating against nine persons, including the chairperson and director of Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) and directors of six manning agents that run ships registered with SCI, for transferring the gratuity of seafarers into a private fund without informing them.
The matter came to light when a seafarer, Sushil Deorukhkar, 31, who joined SCI in 2003, decided to quit his job around March this year.
According to SCI norms, the seafarers’ gratuity is to be deposited to the Seafarers Welfare Fund Society (SWFS). However, when Deorukhkar went to the SWFS office, he found out that the gratuity had been transferred to a private trust — Offshore and Home Trade Seamen’s Welfare Fund.
Deorukhkar said that the scam was being run so smoothly that no one would have realised something was wrong. They would receive a receipt that would confirm that their gratuity had been deposited, but the slip never mentioned where. It was taken for granted that it was getting deposited into SWFS accounts.
Talking to dna, Deorukhkar said, “The gratuity of thousands of seafarers has been getting transferred to a private trust since 2003. I had approached the MRA police as well as the SCI director in May, but no action was taken following which, I had to approach the court. The court directed the police to lodge a complaint (dna has a copy of the FIR) following which, the case was registered on September 26.”
Deorukhkar added that even though the court order said the accused persons should be immediately arrested, no arrests were made.
Ashok Jagdale, senior inspector of MRA Marg police station said, “Arrests can be made only after there is evidence against them.”
The Offshore and Home Trade Seamen’s Welfare Fund is jointly run by Naresh Birvadkar and PG Anthony Joseph, who were members of the Forward Seamen’s Union Trust (FSUI) but were removed owing to corruption charges against them.
“I am still the elected general secretary of FSUI. The police have recorded my statement and there has been no wrongdoing...Deorukhkar has not claimed his gratuity, so how can it be given to him,” said Birvadkar.
The masterminds
The Offshore and Home Trade Seamen’s Welfare Fund is jointly run by Naresh Birvadkar and PG Anthony Joseph, who were members of the Forward Seamen’s Union Trust (FSUI) but were removed owing to corruption charges against them.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}