A computer operator has allegedly misappropriated Rs 21.59 crore from an account of a government-run sports complex in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city, officials said on Monday.

The main accused, Harshkumar Kshirsagar, a contractual computer operator at the Divisional Sports Complex office who is currently absconding, committed the offence over 11 months, an official from Jawaharnagar police station said.

Police have arrested a woman friend of the accused and were enquiring with her in connection with the case, he said.

While the probe was on into the case, the absconding accused sent a letter by post to the Jawaharnagar police on December 26, alleging some senior office-bearers at the facility pressured him for the misappropriation of funds.

According to the police official, Kshirsagar allegedly changed the e-mail address of the sports complex committee registered with a bank and got the facility's account linked to another e-mail ID to which he had access.

The detailed bank statements of the account were then sent to his new e-mail address, the official said.

The accused allegedly diverted Rs 21.59 crore from the sports facility's bank account to another account and then withdrew the money, he said.

Based on a complaint by a representative of the sports complex, the Jawaharnagar police on December 22 registered a case against Kshirsagar and two others under relevant legal provisions, the official said.

Even as efforts were underway to apprehend Kshirsagar, he sent a seven-page letter to the Jawaharnagar police station in-charge last week, claiming some seniors at the sports complex office pressured him to withdraw its fund.

He alleged that a senior office-bearer at the sports complex threatened him showing a gun, gave him a letter to get the facility's account number changed, chose the properties bought with the withdrawn amount and also used a car purchased for Rs 1.35 crore by the accused.

The accused also claimed in his letter that he was mentally harassed when he refused to indulge in the fund transfer and withdrawal.

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