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Bollywood music director Pritam Chakraborty reported a theft of Rs 40 lakh from his Mumbai office. Suspect Ashish Sayal allegedly took the cash. Police are investigating.
Pritam Chakraborty is a well-known music composer.
Renowned Bollywood music director Pritam Chakraborty has become the victim of a major theft involving his staff. According to reports, around Rs 40 lakh in cash was allegedly stolen from his office in Mumbai. The incident came to light recently, prompting Pritam to lodge a formal complaint with the police. An FIR has been registered, and authorities are now investigating the matter.
A complaint has now been filed at Malad police station after a staff member working for him allegedly made off with Rs 40 lakh from his office. The incident was reported by the composer’s manager, who alerted authorities as soon as the theft was discovered. The cops have identified the suspect as 32-year-old Ashish Sayal. They have also formed teams to track him down.
According to reports, the theft occurred around 2 pm on February 4 at Pritam Chakraborty’s music studio, Unimus Record Pvt. Ltd., located in Goregaon. A representative from a production house had delivered a bag containing Rs 40 lakh in cash to the composer’s manager, Vineet Chedda. At the time of the incident, Sayal, Ahmed Khan, and Kamal Disha were also present at the studio. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the theft and questioning those present to gather more details.
“The manager, who took the cash, kept it in a trolley bag in the office and subsequently went to Chakraborty’s house, which is in the same building, to get his signature on some documents,” an officer said.
Once he returned, Chedda discovered that the trolley bag containing the cash had vanished. He immediately questioned the other staff members, who claimed that Sayal had taken the bag, saying he was transporting it to Pritam Chakraborty’s residence.
Police revealed that Chedda attempted to contact the suspect, but his calls went unanswered. He grew more suspicious when the suspect switched off his mobile phone entirely. Realising something was amiss, Chedda promptly informed Pritam Chakraborty about the situation, who asked hi to immediately file a complaint with the authorities.
“On the music composer’s advice, he approached the police station and lodged a complaint. A case of theft has been registered, and we are trying to trace the suspect. We are reaching out to his relatives and also working on leads through his mobile phone’s call data record,” an officer said.
“We are also trying to understand whether he had recently asked anyone for money, as that could help us determine the reason for the theft,” said a police officer investigating the case according to Indian Express.
Further developments are awaited as the investigation unfolds. The recovery of money hasn’t happened as yet. When contacted, Pritam’s spokesperson told ETimes, “Police are investigating. We cannot comment on anything beyond this.”
The composer, known for his work on blockbuster albums such as Barfi!, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, and Brahmāstra, has not yet issued a public statement regarding the matter.