The Matunga police have arrested Pragati Atul Kshirsagar, a deputy manager at Yes Bank’s Thane branch, for allegedly aiding cyber criminals in routing money through deceitfully opened bank accounts. She is the sixth person arrested in connection with a cyber fraud case involving a senior citizen from King Circle who was duped out of Rs5 lakhs.
The case emerged in April when the victim filed an FIR against unknown individuals for cheating. The accused posed as SBI bank officials to deceive the senior citizen.
During the investigation, led by PI Keshav Wagh, police discovered that the accounts used for transferring the stolen money belonged to unsuspecting individuals. This prompted an examination of the authenticity of these accounts.
Last week, five individuals were arrested, including Rahul Umale, who provided his bank details for a fee; Arbaaz Shaikh, Amin Shaikh, and Rahim Shaikh, who collaborated to exploit these accounts; and Kalim Ansari from Palghar, who received a significant portion of the stolen funds and played a central role in the operation.
During interrogation, it was revealed that Pragati was under pressure to open 70 salary accounts monthly. Failing to meet this target for two consecutive months, she allegedly collaborated with Amin and Rahim to create fraudulent accounts, receiving a share of the proceeds for her assistance.
Pragati has been remanded to police custody for further questioning after being presented in Kurla court. Authorities have identified six bank accounts linked to her, suspecting the existence of more such accounts involved in cybercrime. Previously residing in Dharavi, she now lives in Jui Nagar, Navi Mumbai.