Pune: A wholesale drug distributor's employee has allegedly absconded after defrauding his employers and retail sellers of a staggering ₹29 lakh.

The employee, Mahavir Bharoshilal Sharma, had been entrusted with securing orders, delivering goods, and collecting payments for over seven years. However, during the months of May to July, he collected substantial sums from retailers in the Kondhwa and Undri areas but failed to deposit the payments with his employers.

According to the information provided by the Vishrambaug police, the complainant Sagar Kantilal Lunkad, runs a wholesale drug distribution business in Sadashiv Peth. Mahavir Sharma had been employed for the past seven years to secure orders from the market, deliver goods, and collect bill payments.

Between May and July, he took orders from sellers in the Kondhwa and Undri areas and supplied them with goods. However, he did not deposit the payments collected.

When questioned, Sharma assured that he would bring in the payments by the end of the month. But after failing to show up at the shop, Lunkad tried to contact him via phone, only to find it switched off.

Suspicious, Lunkad inquired with the retail sellers, only to discover that Sharma had collected ₹11,80,666 from 14 retailers in Undri and Kondhwa but had not deposited the amount with Lunkad. When he visited Sharma's house, it was locked.

The complainant’s father-in-law, Pankaj Sumatilal Shah (age 66, resident of Sujay Garden, Mukundnagar), who also runs a wholesale drug store in Sadashiv Peth, was similarly defrauded by Mahavir Sharma to the tune of ₹17,24,205, bringing the total amount of fraud to ₹29,04,871. Police Sub-Inspector Ganesh Fadtade is investigating the matter.