Office asst held for stealing Rs50 lakh

He worked as an ordinary office assistant with a chartered accountant firm at Nariman Point and wished to earn  a quick buck to make life better. But, as luck would have it,
Santosh Purshottam Pathak, 33, was arrested by the Cuffe Parade police on Saturday after he fled with Rs50 lakh given to him by his employer.

Pathak worked with M/s Pathak H and D associates, a chartered accountant firm in Tulsiyani Chambers. On January 31, Gyandev Chaturvedi, one of the partners of the firm, asked Pathak to hand over Rs50 lakh to Gagan Chaturvedi, a client, at his office in Maker Chambers.

However, while on his way Pathak planned to make the most of the opportunity, and fled with the cash to his native place in Mathura.

When Gyandev checked with Gagan, he told him that he had not received the money. Gyandev then lodged a complaint with the Cuffe Parade police.

“We were investigating Pathak’s family who lived in the company quarters at Thane. But, after the complaint was lodged, his family also shifted to Mathura,” said assistant police inspector Vijay Bhole.

A police team was then sent to Mathura for further investigations. “Our team laid several traps there and finally nabbed him on August 16,” Bhole said.

The police also recovered a country made pistol and Rs1 lakh from him. 
Police said that Pathak was employed with the firm for the past 10 years. Investigations revealed that he had eight other cases, including murder, dacoity and robbery against him in Uttar Pradesh.