Taking advantage of the mandatory use of masks during the pandemic, a clerk at Nair hospital defrauded the BMC of Rs 9.91 lakh last year. However, the civic body's audit department unearthed the fraud in time and the hospital authorities confronted Prasad Gosavi, who confessed and even returned the entire amount.

The Agripada police booked Gosavi, 32, on Monday evening on charges of cheating and forgery, but are yet to arrest him. According to police, Gosavi managed to process family pension and gratuity claims of two deceased employees using forged papers and with the help of imposters, who posed as staffers' relatives.