From the ‘docks’ to the prison cell

The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court at Esplanade convicted Kavita Dhumale, 46, a lady peon, serving in Mumbai’s Naval Dockyard to two years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs5,000 on Saturday for duping nine job seekers of Rs1.07 lakh by promising them jobs at the Dockyard.

The prosecution said that Ramesh Kasare, 32, a peon working at the World Trade Centre in Cuffe Parade, applied for the job of peon in the Naval Dockyard in July 2000. His father-in-law, Eknath Desai, who was working in the Naval Dockyard, asked him to meet Dhumale.

Dhumale promised to get him a job at Naval Dockyard and received Rs35,000 in two installments from Kasare for the same. After two years, she neither helped him get job nor returned his money. When he realised she had duped him, Kasare lodged a complaint with the Colaba police station on June 23, 2004. The police, who had registered the case under section 420 (cheating) IPC, arrested Dhumale.

Police found that Dhumale had duped another eight job seekers by accepting cash ranging from Rs10,000 to Rs35,000. Later, police filed a charge sheet against her in the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court for trial.