Indian cricketer’s father jailed for 7 years in ₹1.25 crore embezzlement case

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Indian cricketer Naman Ojha's father, Vinay Ojha, has been sentenced to 7 years in prison for embezzling over ₹1.25 crore. The court's decision comes after a lengthy investigation that lasted over a decade. The case, involving four individuals, also included a fine of ₹7 lakh for Vinay Ojha in addition to the prison sentence.

The embezzlement took place in 2013 at the Bank of Maharashtra branch in Joulkheda, Madhya Pradesh. Six people were originally named in the FIR filed at that time, and after 11 years, the mastermind behind the fraud, Abhishek Ratanam, was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison with an additional fine of ₹80 lakh. Vinay Ojha, who was working as an assistant manager at the Bank of Maharashtra's Joulkheda branch at the time, was found to have direct involvement in the fraud.

The investigation revealed that the fraud was executed using the passwords of bank employees, including Dinanath Rathod, the cashier, who passed away during the investigation, and Nilesh Chatrole, an apprentice branch manager, whose ID and password were misused. However, Nilesh was not found guilty. According to lawyer Vishal Kodale, Abhishek Ratanam and Vinay Ojha, along with their agents, opened fake accounts and embezzled ₹1.25 crore through this scheme. The court found four of the six accused guilty and sentenced them accordingly.