28 May,2026 08:27 AM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya Iyer
The complainant has alleged that the society manager misused his office access to manipulate data. Representation Pic/istock
For over a decade, a manager at a Chembur-based cooperative credit society allegedly kept falling behind on repayments of a Rs 25 lakh home loan he had taken against his Kalamboli flat. By late 2025, the unpaid amount had reportedly ballooned to nearly Rs 52 lakh. The credit society alleges that instead of repaying the dues, the manager allegedly used his own office access to manipulate the society's loan software.
The Tilak Nagar police have registered an FIR against the manager, Jivan Ramanath Reehal, 57, after an internal audit and software investigation allegedly uncovered a carefully-layered manipulation of the society's loan records. Reehal had been working with the cooperative society since 2005, and eventually rose from assistant accountant to manager, handling loan accounts and administrative operations for a society with nearly 8000-10,000 members across Mumbai and its suburbs.
The complaint was filed by 67-year-old Subhash Dhiman, a retired Nerul resident who has been serving as secretary at the credit society since 2022.
Police said the fraud allegedly unfolded in late December 2025, when Reehal used his official access to alter entries in the society's loan software. Police said that he allegedly reduced the interest amount in his own loan account, falsely showed the loan as fully repaid, and then removed the original mortgaged property documents from the society's locker - all without board approval.
"Instead of simply deleting the outstanding dues, Reehal is said to have redistributed chunks of the unpaid interest across 11 other members' loan accounts so the society's overall figures would continue appearing balanced and no sudden discrepancy would immediately stand out during routine checks," a police officer explained.
After discrepancies were found, the society approached its software provider - Smart Tech Solution - which allegedly traced unauthorised backend changes to Reehal's personal login ID. According to Dhiman, the changes were made on December 26, 2025, in loan account number 10745. Police said the manipulation caused a loss of Rs 10,16,204 to the cooperative society. Reehal was removed from service in March this year, following the findings.
A cooperative credit society is a member-run institution that works like a small community bank. People become members, deposit money, and can take loans from the society at interest. These are managed by elected office-bearers and employees, and mainly cater to a specific local group.
The manipulation surfaced after the society's secretary, Subhash Dhiman, grew suspicious and ordered an audit. An auditor's report submitted in January 2026 found that despite the system showing the loan as cleared, Rs 10.16 lakh was still outstanding.
Senior Police Inspector Santosh Dhemare of Tilak Nagar police station confirmed that no arrests have been made so far. "At this stage, these are allegations made by the complainant and the credit society. We are examining all aspects of the case to verify the claims, understand whether there is more to the matter, and ascertain if any other persons were involved. Statements are being recorded, and a technical investigation is also being carried out in parallel. Action, including arrests if required, will be taken based on the findings," another senior officer told mid-day.
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