Employee arrested for theft of Rs 18 lakh cash

HYDERABAD: An employee of a private cash management services firm was arrested on Tuesday by police for misappropriating Rs 18 lakh that belongs to the firm.Police seized a flat and more than 23 tola gold ornaments purchased by the accused with the stolen amount.The misappropriation of funds took place in the Securitrans India Private Limited's branch at Sikh Village.The cash management services firm also maintains ATMs and cash pick-up and delivery services for several banks in the city.According to north zone DCP Ch Srikanth, there are nearly 160 employees working in the branch and the accused, Animesh Das of West Bengal, was working as a vault officer in the branch."The vault officer has to receive cash from banks, keep it in a locker and handover the same to the ATM custodians for depositing the money in the machines as per the direction of the banks. Between January 11 and May 18, Animesh stole Rs 18 lakh belonging to the firm," Srikanth said.Animesh purchased a flat at Dhana Laxmi Residency for Rs 9.16 lakh on an instalment basis and got it registered in his wife, Parul Das's name. "Animesh told his wife that he had purchased the flat with the money borrowed from his friends. He spent Rs 1.20 lakh to register the flat.He also furnished the flat with wood work and grills.With the remaining amount, he purchased gold ornaments for his wife and daughter at different shops in the city," the DCP said.Bowenpally police arrested Animesh and recovered the documents of the flat and 23 tola gold ornaments worth Rs 5.60 lakh that he bought with the stolen amount.