2 accused of funds misappropriation, kill selves in Sawantwadi

PANAJI: Two men, missing from Goa since last week and suspected to have allegedly misappropriated funds of Rs80lakh from the Calangute-based money exchange firm where they were managers, allegedly committed suicide at a lodge in Sawantwadi, Maharashtra.
Sawantwadi PI Ranjit Desai told TOI that while one was found on Friday morning to have committed suicide by consuming poison, the other was found hanging from the ceiling fan.
Both deceased, Nilesh Parsekar, 40, resident of Bharwanwadda, Camurlim, near Mapusa, and Pradesh Chodankar, 38, resident of Betim, were accused by the owner of the money exchange firm of misappropriating funds that the firm’s audit report had red-flagged. The owner had filed the complaint with the Calangute police on December 3, and although the duo were summoned to the station they failed to turn up, said sources.
Sources told TOI that the duo had met the owner of the money exchange firm over the police complaint and the latter had told them that he would take a decision on the issue after speaking with his chartered accountant. Police sources said both men were regulars at casinos and probably needed cash.
On December 5, the wives of both men filed missing persons’ complaints at the Mapusa and Porvorim police stations respectively, stating that their husbands were missing since December 3. While Chodankar’s cellphone was switched off on December 5, family members traced his two-wheeler to near Miramar beach. In the tool box was found a suicide note. Porvorim police sources said the handwritten note, verified by Chodankar’s wife, said he was committing suicide and no one should be held responsible for this death.
At the lodge room in Sawantwadi no suicide note was found, said PI Desai. He explained that the police were alerted by the owner of the lodge that the two guests were refusing to open the room door. The police team that managed to get in found one man lying dead on the bed and the other hanging from the ceiling fan. Following the panchanama the bodies were sent for postmortem.