Pune: Paud police have registered a case against three people, including two women who own a Taloja-based company, for allegedly defrauding a Pune-based automobile parts manufacturing firm of nearly ₹3 crore through fake invoices and manipulated stock records.
The alleged fraud took place between April 2023 and February 2026 and involved 546 tonnes of metal sheets that the company allegedly paid for despite the material not being received.
The complaint was filed by the factory manager of the Pune-based automobile parts manufacturing firm. According to police, one of the accused was an employee working in the company’s stores department, while the other two accused are women who own the Taloja-based supplier company.
How the Alleged Fake Invoice Fraud Happened
The Pune company had been procuring metal sheets of different grades from the Taloja-based firm since 2021.
The accused employee was responsible for maintaining records of incoming material, submitting supplier bills to the accounts department and checking payments made to vendors.
The alleged irregularities came to light during a review of company records in December 2025. Officials noticed that a large quantity of material had been recorded as having been sent to a company in Pirangut, but the actual quantity received was reportedly lower.
A subsequent examination found discrepancies in the stock records, with several entries in the company’s system allegedly altered.
Missing Weighbridge Records Raised Suspicion
The company then examined the invoices associated with the transactions.
Police said several invoices did not have corresponding weighbridge receipts. Instead, weighbridge slips belonging to the Taloja-based supplier were allegedly substituted in the records.
The discrepancies between the physical material received, stock entries, invoices and weighbridge documentation prompted the company to conduct a more detailed internal inquiry.
Employee Allegedly Used Other Staff Members’ Login Details
The company questioned an engineer from its purchasing team, an assistant manager from the design department and the stores department employee as part of its internal inquiry.
All three denied involvement in the alleged manipulation. The company subsequently appointed a lawyer to conduct a detailed inquiry.
Two employees appeared before the lawyer during the inquiry. The stores department employee, however, allegedly failed to appear and subsequently went missing without informing the company.
According to police, the two employees told investigators that the suspect had obtained their user IDs and passwords.
The company then examined invoices generated using the employee’s access credentials over a period of nearly three years.
546 Tonnes of Metal Sheets Allegedly Not Received
According to the investigation, between April 2023 and February 2026, the Taloja-based company was supposed to supply 1,870 tonnes of metal sheets against a total demand of 2,788 tonnes.
Police allege that 546 tonnes of the material were never actually received by the automobile parts manufacturer.
The value of the allegedly missing material was estimated at nearly ₹3 crore.
Investigators allege that the employee used the IDs of different employees to generate invoices showing that the material had been received. Based on those records, the accounts department allegedly processed payments to the Taloja-based supplier.
Police also said their investigation pointed to the alleged involvement of the two women who owned the supplier company.
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How Fake Invoices Can Enable Procurement Fraud
In procurement-related fraud, investigators typically compare several records to determine whether goods shown on an invoice were actually delivered.
These may include purchase orders, invoices, warehouse or stock entries, weighbridge records, delivery documents and payment records.
When these records are not regularly reconciled, discrepancies between the physical movement of goods and the company’s accounting system can remain undetected for extended periods.
In the Pune case, police are examining whether allegedly altered digital records and supporting documents were used to make payments for material that was not actually received.
Digital Access and Internal Controls Under Scrutiny
The allegations also highlight the risks associated with shared or improperly protected employee credentials.
If an unauthorised person gains access to another employee’s user ID and password, transactions or records created using those credentials can initially appear to have been authorised.
For businesses handling large procurement volumes, access controls, individual user credentials, audit logs, approval mechanisms and regular reconciliation of physical stock with digital records can help identify suspicious activity.
Investigators will determine whether the credentials were actually misused and who was responsible for the alleged changes to the records.
Cheating and Forgery Case Registered
Paud police have registered a case under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to cheating, criminal breach of trust and forgery, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.
The allegations against the three accused have not been established in court.
Police are examining the company’s digital records, invoices, user-account activity, weighbridge documents and payment transactions to establish the exact roles of each accused.
Investigation Into ₹3 Crore Alleged Loss Continues
Investigators are also expected to examine the flow of payments made to the Taloja-based supplier and determine whether the alleged discrepancies were limited to the 546 tonnes identified so far.
The investigation will seek to establish how the invoices were generated, whether other employees’ credentials were used without authorisation and what role the supplier company owners allegedly played in the transactions.
The case remains under investigation, and further action will depend on the evidence collected by police.
About the author — Ananya Aradhya writes on cybercrime, fraud, scams, cybersecurity, digital safety, and emerging threats. Her work also covers major criminal cases, financial frauds, consumer scams, and stories that highlight risks affecting people in the real and digital world.
