Electronics store voucher theft under EOW lens

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: A case involving stolen vouchers of an electronics and home appliances store, Croma, is being probed by the economic offences wing (EOW). 

    The vouchers initially “went missing” from most of the store’s outlets, but were redeemed at other branches, claimed investigators. “We found that the vouchers were used to purchase goods worth Rs 24 lakh from the Bandra outlet alone,” said a police officer. 

    Two of the store’s cashiers, Sandeep Khade and Sandeep Tiwrekar, were arrested but secured bail later. The fraud came to light while the company was carrying out its internal audit.   “The coupons can be bought at all Croma stores. The employees print the amount and the coupon is stamped before it is handed over to a buyer,” said a police officer. “The accused had forged vouchers and sold them, which is a crime. Although, the coupons were original but after manipulation they were considered duplicate,” he added. 

    In 2011, the company altered the design on their vouchers. “Even after effecting this change, the store accepted the ‘old vouchers’. Hence, most of the forged ones got redeemed,” said a police source.  “There is no record of the vouchers, which were stolen from almost all the store’s outlets,” he added.
 

    The staffers are on the lookout for buyers who may turn up at outlets to redeem the ‘forged vouchers’. “We want to find out from whom they purchased the vouchers,” said the source. 

 

The Times of India, November 5, 2012