Mumbai: A special CBI court on Thursday convicted Ghatkopar-based businessman Pravin Dagha for cheating National Insurance Company of Rs21.92 lakh with a fraudulent claim for a warehouse fire in November 2010, allegedly in collusion with company officials. The officials, however, were acquitted.
Special Judge Amit Kharkar sentenced Dagha to four years in jail and imposed a fine of Rs25 lakh.
Accused Wrongfully Enjoyed Insurance Payout, Court Notes
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 Company. Reformative approach cannot be adopted.”
The CBI had also booked then administrative officer Prashant Mane, assistant manager Usha Kosambi, and divisional manager Hemlata Shettyof the insurance firm, charging them with corruption. However, the court acquitted them due to lack of evidence.
As argued by the CBI prosecutor Sandeep Singh, Dagha had taken a ‘fire and special perils policy’ for a sum assured of Rs1 crore from March 2010 to March 2011 in the name of his firm Pravin & Co for his three shops at VH Camp, Bail Bazar, Kurla.
Businessman Conspired to Alter Risk Location
On November 22, 2010, Dagha filed an insurance claim for a blaze on November 20 at Ganesh Compound, Navi Mumbai. He allegedly 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 party failed to justify the stock in the godown, making it impossible to assess the loss. Subsequently, Navin Jain was appointed as new surveyor; while he assessed the loss, he noted that the risk location was not covered under the policy. The prosecution had claimed that even after the negative report, the officers of the insurance company approved Dagha’s claim of Rs21.96 lakh.
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