​Bengaluru: Clerk cheats firm of Rs 66 Lakh, plaint filed

Bengaluru: In systematic looting, a clerk with the Karnataka Oil Federation (KOF) has cheated the company of Rs 66 lakh over the last eight years.

Company manager S. Srinivasan filed a complaint against the accused, Nataraj C., at the Kadugodi police station. Though Nataraj, who was working at the finance department, was siphoning off the money for the last eight years, it was revealed only this year during auditing.

The manager questioned Nataraj, who confessed to the crime and returned Rs 13 lakh. He also promised to return the rest of the amount in instalments, but stopped coming to office and went missing since July. Srinivasa then approached the police and filed the complaint.

Mr Srinivasan said that Nataraj was working as a clerk in the finance department on a contract basis for the last 26 years. He was assigned to withdraw cash from banks to pay transporters.

But Nataraj forged the signatures of officials, produced fake bills and pocketed Rs 66 lakh. The auditors, conducting the annual accounting this year, found discrepancies in the bills and summoned Nataraj. After detailed questioning, Nataraj confessed that he had misappropriated Rs 79,89,000 and returned Rs 13 lakh, the complaint stated.

The Kadugodi police registered an FIR against Nataraj charging him with forgery and cheating. Efforts are on to trace him.