Manager booked for ₹34 lakh embezzlement from actor Jibraan Khan’s Bandra café

According to the police, the accused, identified as Ajay Singh Rawat, had been working as the café’s manager since 2022. His role included handling daily cash and online payments, ensuring cash deposits were made into the café’s bank account, and paying various vendors who supplied goods to the outlet

MUMBAI: The Bandra police have registered a case against the manager of actor Jibraan Khan’s café for allegedly siphoning off nearly ₹34 lakh from the establishment over the past year.

Manager booked for ₹34 lakh embezzlement from actor Jibraan Khan’s Bandra café

Khan, 32, who gained popularity as a child actor in films such as Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), now runs Grounded, a pet-friendly all-day breakfast and coffee café on BJ Road, Mount Mary, Bandra. He resides in the Jyoti Sadan building on 28th Street in Bandra West.

According to the police, the accused, identified as Ajay Singh Rawat, had been working as the café’s manager since 2022. His role included handling daily cash and online payments, ensuring cash deposits were made into the café’s bank account, and paying various vendors who supplied goods to the outlet.

The alleged fraud came to light on September 19, when another staff member, identified only as Pramod, informed Khan that payments to vendors had not been made. Rawat was on leave at the time, and Khan initially waited for him to return from his hometown.

When questioned on September 22, Rawat reportedly gave vague responses, prompting Khan to suspect irregularities. Khan subsequently asked his chartered accountant to conduct a financial audit of the café’s operations for the financial year April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025.

The audit revealed that the café had recorded business worth ₹1.14 crore during the period. However, only ₹79.67 lakh had been deposited into the bank, leaving a shortfall of ₹34 lakh, which police suspect Rawat siphoned off.

Khan also told investigators that Rawat had misappropriated funds between April and September this year. Acting on the complaint, the Bandra police booked Rawat under section 316(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). “We are verifying the transactions and ascertaining the veracity of the allegations,” a Bandra police officer said.

The case is currently under investigation.