Borivli school clerk held for embezzling fee worth Rs 14 lakh

This picture has been used for representational purpose

The Kasturba Marg police have booked a female school clerk for allegedly embezzling fees to the tune of Rs 14 lakh. According to police sources, the accused collected cash from the parents and hoodwinked authorities by entering a fake cheque number in the school records. The incident came to light when the authorities tallied the accounts and learnt that while hundreds of cheque numbers were entered in the records, not a single cheque was deposited.

A written complaint was filed by the trustee of the private school in Devi Pada, Borivli East, against the clerk. "We have recorded the statement of the school trustee and registered the case, and booked the school clerk who was identified as Swati Kadam, 40, yesterday under various sections of the IPC," said a police official. Kadam had been working as a clerk in the school for six years.

Although the school was closed due to Covid-19, the fees for the academic year 2019-20 and 20-21 were pending, said a school official. According to officials, when parents paid fees in cash, Kadam would punch in fake cheque numbers in the records and steal the money. "On the complaint of one of the school trustees, we have registered the case. No arrest has been made," said police inspector Parmod Tavde from Kasturba Marg police station.