The Mumbai police have charged a guy with stealing Rs 48 lakh by switching the QR scanner at the payment desk of a beauty salon at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Terminal (CSMIA). The culprit, who was described as the spa’s manager, was charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, which include Section 420 (cheating and dishonesty).
Nirmal Chaudhari, the operations head of Zivaya Wellness, submitted a police report against the manager, which brought the situation to light. According to the police, the accused reportedly attached the QR code to his account and then received payments totaling Rs 48 lakh to his own private bank account.
Following a report about the alleged scam, a top spa administrator performed an audit.
When the spa’s administration discovered the scam, they fired the accused manager and seized his access card, which he used to get to the Mumbai airport. According to the police complaint submitted by the spa management, the QR code switch took place in May 2022, but they only learned about it in July after an unidentified individual tipped them off.
A number of staff members were knowledgeable of the accused’s actions but chose to stay silent, fearing ramifications such as job loss, according to the ensuing investigation. The police have launched an investigation into the scenario, which includes a review of the audit records submitted by the company and an analysis of the accused’s bank statements.
Chaudhari said that ”the manager of the Mumbai centre, Gurdeep Singh Mathru, switched the QR code in May 2022. The police told the corporation that in July, they received a call from an unknown caller tipping them off about this”.
“We also spoke with other employees, and some of them confirmed that they were aware of Mathru’s embezzlement.” “However, they stated that they chose to remain silent about it because they were afraid of being fired from their jobs if they objected,” Chaudhari told the police. “They also audited the records before firing Mathru and taking away his airport access card”.