Mumbai News: Senior Marketing Manager Dupes Firm Of ₹31 Lakh With Fake Hotel Bills
Mumbai: In a major case of corporate fraud, a senior marketing manager allegedly submitted fake hotel and meal bills worth ₹31 lakh to his employer over several years, while actually staying in budget hotels during domestic and international work trips. The fraudulent scheme was uncovered after the company initiated an internal audit.
The accused, Vishal Kalgude, had been working with Environ Specialty Chemicals, a Malad-based company owned by Anupam Kapadia. The firm deals in the sales and distribution of industrial chemicals across India and abroad. Kalgude joined the company in 2013 and was responsible for travelling to secure orders and meet clients. During these trips, the company reimbursed all his travel, lodging, and meal expenses based on the bills he submitted.
However, investigations revealed that Kalgude would stay in modest hotels but submit forged bills from reputed five-star hotels. He also inflated food bills, including one forged international bill where a juice priced at 42 Yuan was shown as 150 Yuan.
The fraud surfaced when the company’s accounts department grew suspicious about inconsistencies in Kalgude's travel claims. Rajendra Jain, a finance team member, was assigned to verify the expenses. Upon visiting a hotel in Malad, Jain discovered that the submitted bills did not originate from that hotel. Realizing the scam was being exposed, Kalgude abruptly resigned via email and went incommunicado.
Unwilling to let the matter rest, the company engaged a chartered accountancy firm to conduct a thorough forensic audit. The audit team contacted all the hotels mentioned in Kalgude’s submitted claims. Shockingly, many hotels confirmed that Kalgude had never stayed there and that the bills were fabricated.
The fraudulent bills spanned the years 2013 to 2018, covering both domestic and international travel. Despite being served a 48-hour notice to explain, Kalgude failed to respond. Following the internal inquiry, Environ Specialty Chemicals lodged a formal complaint with the Bangur Nagar Police Station. A case has been registered against Kalgude under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including:
Section 420 – Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property
Section 465 – Forgery
Section 467 – Forgery of valuable security or will
Section 468 – Forgery for the purpose of cheating
Section 470 – Forged document
Section 471 – Using a forged document as genuine
Police have begun a probe to trace Kalgude’s whereabouts and investigate if others were involved in the scam.
This case highlights the need for robust internal audit systems and strict expense verification procedures in corporate setups to prevent white-collar crimes.
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