Mumbai: The suspended MD of scam-hit Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank, Joy Thomas, during preliminary interrogation revealed he converted to Islam in 2005 to marry his personal assistant. The police have discovered nine flats registered under his second wife’s name in Pune.
Sixty-two-year-old Thomas is presently in police custody in the Rs 4,355-crore PMC Bank loot case. Apart from Thomas, real estate group HDIL's promoters Rakesh Wadhawa and son Sarang, and the bank's former chairman Waryam Singh have also been incarcerated in connection with the case.
The former PMC MD made an admission before the police that he led a double life with two families. He had developed a relationship with his PA while he was married and had a family. Thus, Joy Thomas conveniently converted to Islam and became Junaid Khan to marry her, the police said. The woman in question quit her job in 2005 on the pretext of marriage and informed her office that she was moving to Dubai, The Times of India reported.
“That was the last anyone in the bank heard of her," said an officer.
"Evidently, she shifted to Pune, and her husband, Joy, who became Junaid to marry her, started shuttling between the city and Mumbai. We are looking into how she bought the Pune properties. If we find that these were bought through the proceeds of crime, we will attach the properties, which are estimated to have a combined worth of Rs 4 crore,” the officer said.
During his interrogation, Thomas also confessed that his Islamic name ‘Junaid’ wasn't in any financial records as he continued to be Joy Thomas in official terms. "It seems was a conversion of convenience for him," said an officer.
Earlier, the police identified and attached four flats owned by Thomas in Mumbai and Thane. One of those flats is registered in the name of his son from his first wife.
"He and his second wife had adopted a girl, who is now 11 years old. They also have a 10-year-old son. The second wife makes and sells chocolates, has a boutique, and draws rent from the Pune properties," an officer said.
Meanwhile, Thomas's first wife filed for divorce upon learning about his deception.
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