FIR registered against Mulund Housing Society members for misusing funds

By: Pune Pulse

December 9, 2023

Pune: An FIR has been lodged by the Navghar police in Mulund (east) against ex-members of the housing society committee in Mulund.

This action was taken in response to a complaint filed by the Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies, accusing them of misappropriating society funds.

The FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to cheating, as well as the Maharashtra Co-operative Society Act.

The Navghar police registered the FIR on Thursday after receiving a complaint from a Chartered Accountant who was assigned to conduct the statutory audit of the funds of Sachin Cooperative Housing Society for the years 2016-2017 and 2017-2018.

According to the complaint, the individuals named in the FIR held different positions within the organization, such as building secretary, chairman, treasurer, and members, from April 1, 2017, to October 22, 2017.

The complainant stated that after conducting the mandatory audit of the organization, it was discovered that between 06/04/2017 and 12/11/2017, a sum of Rs 5.62 lakh had been withdrawn, out of which Rs 4.16 lakh had been utilized for various purposes related to society. Among these expenses, a total of Rs 32,906 had been incurred through 17 vouchers.

The complainant stated that due to the absence of the mentioned vouchers, there was no accompanying bill indicating the expenditure of the specified amount. Additionally, he mentioned that despite seeking information from both the previous and current managing committees, as well as the secretary of the new committee, he did not receive any details. Furthermore, it has been observed that out of the total amount of Rs 5.62 lakh, Rs 1.66 lakh was disbursed to an individual named Rajanna through vouchers.

According to the complaint, it was stated that under the regulations outlined in the Co-operative Societies Act of 1960, any withdrawal exceeding Rs 1,500 from the organization’s account should be done through a bank cheque. However, it has been observed that the managing committee of the society withdrew the amount in cash.

The individual who filed the complaint mentioned that the District Deputy Registrar Cooperative Society informed him through a letter that the previous office-bearers and managing committee members had misappropriated the organization’s funds. The letter further instructed him to complain to the local police station, resulting in the registration of an FIR regarding this matter.

Dattaram Girap, the senior inspector of Navghar police station, stated that they are currently investigating the matter. Once the investigation is complete, they will determine the appropriate course of action.