Pune: In a deceitful scheme, Monu Samuel, the manager of Alichi's Restaurant in Kondhwa, replaced the restaurant's QR codes with his own, defrauding the business of ₹3 lakh. This scam was uncovered following an investigation by the restaurant owner, Ahmed Mohammad Ali Alichi.

The manager, Monu Samuel (34, resident of Aster Myra Society, Pisoli), has been charged in this case. Ahmed Mohammad Ali Alichi (48, resident of Undri) filed the complaint at Kondhwa Police Station. This incident took place at Alichi's Restaurant in Undri between December 2023 and June 2024.

According to the police, Ahmed owns Alichi's Restaurant in Undri. While he was in Dubai, his brother managed the restaurant, but due to an eye operation, he could not regularly visit the restaurant.

During this period, Monu Samuel, the manager, was in charge. QR codes linked to Ahmed's bank account were placed in the restaurant for customer payments.

Monu replaced some of these QR codes with his own, instructing some customers to pay using his QR codes. As a result, online payments were diverted to Monu's account instead of Ahmed's.

Monu claimed that the restaurant business was not doing well and even asked Ahmed for money. Suspicious, Ahmed checked the CCTV footage and noticed a discrepancy between the high number of customers and the low cash flow.

Upon inquiry, regular customers mentioned that payments previously showed the restaurant's name, but now Monu's name appeared.

This investigation revealed the scam, with Monu defrauding the restaurant of ₹3 lakh over the past few months. Assistant Police Inspector Amit Shete is investigating the case.