Mumbai Crime: Ghatkopar Businessman Convicted For ₹21.92 Lakh Insurance Fraud; CBI Officials Acquitted

Mumbai: A special CBI court on Thursday convicted Ghatkoper-based businessman Pravin Dagha for cheating National Insurance Company of Rs 21.92 lakh by fraudulently claiming insurance for a warehouse fire in November 2010, allegedly in collusion with company officials. The officials, however, were acquitted.

Sentence and Fine Imposed

Special Judge Amit Kharkar sentenced Dagha to four years’ imprisonment and imposed a Rs 25 lakh fine.

The court observed, “The accused has committed the offence in a cold and calculated manner by misusing various agencies and misleading them and the surveyors. He has wrongfully enjoyed the amounts disbursed by the National Insurance Co. Reformative approach cannot be adopted”.

CBI Investigation and Acquittal of Officials

The CBI had also booked then administrative officer Prashant Mane, assistant manager Usha Kosambi, and divisional manager Hemlata Shetty of National Insurance Company Ltd, charging them with corruption. However, the court acquitted them due to lack of evidence.

Details of the Insurance Fraud

As argued by the CBI prosecutor Sandeep Singh, Dagha had taken a fire and special perils policy for a sum assured of Rs 1 crore for a period of March 2010 to March 2011 in the name of his firm Pravin & Co for his three shops at VH Camp, Bail Bazar, Kurla.

On November 22, 2010, Dagha filed a fire insurance claim for a fire on November 20 at Ganesh Compound, Navi Mumbai. Allegedly, he conspired with insurance staff to change the risk location from Kurla to Navi Mumbai on the same day.

The insurance company appointed Mehta & Co as surveyors, who reported that the insured failed to justify the stock in the godown, making it impossible to assess the loss. Subsequently, Navin Jain was appointed as another surveyor; while he assessed the loss, he noted that the risk location was not covered under the policy.

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Prosecution Claims

The prosecution had claimed that even after the negative report, the officers of the insurance company approved Dagha’s claim of Rs 21.96 lakh.

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