A shocking case of cheating has emerged from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, where a 23-year-old computer operator, Harshal Kumar Kshirsagar, is accused of siphoning off Rs 21.6 crore from a state-run sports department’s account. Over several months, Kshirsagar allegedly used the stolen funds to live a lavish lifestyle, purchasing luxury vehicles, a four-bedroom apartment, and other expensive items.
According to media reports, Kshirsagar, a contractual employee earning Rs 13,000 per month, meticulously planned the fraud. He reportedly used an old letterhead from the sports complex to send a forged email to the bank, requesting a change in the email address associated with the department’s account. The new email address he created was nearly identical to the original, differing by only one letter.
Once the change was made, Kshirsagar gained access to critical banking details, including OTPs. This allowed him to enable internet banking and transfer Rs 21.6 crore into 13 different bank accounts between July 1 and December 7, 2023. By using forged documents, he managed to carry out the transactions undetected for months.
The investigation revealed that Kshirsagar spent the stolen money on an opulent lifestyle that stunned authorities. Among his purchases were a ₹1.2 crore BMW car, an SUV worth ₹1.3 crore, BMW bike priced at ₹32 lakh, a luxurious 4 BHK flat near the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar airport for his girlfriend, diamond-studded glasses.
The police have detained two of Kshirsagar’s colleagues, Yashoda Shetty and her husband, BK Jeevan, for allegedly assisting in the scheme. Jeevan is accused of using some of the stolen funds to buy a high-end SUV worth Rs 35 lakh, which is currently unaccounted for.
Authorities believe the couple helped fabricate documents that allowed Kshirsagar to transfer funds into their personal accounts. The police have seized several luxury vehicles purchased with the stolen money and are scrutinizing bank documents linked to the fraudulent transactions.
The police are also working to determine whether more individuals were involved in the operation and to recover all assets purchased with the embezzled funds.
