Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai (MS) 

Mumbai, Oct 15: In a shocking revelation during the interrogation, Joy Thomas, the tainted former MD of Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank, has revealed to the police that he had an affair with his personal assistant, who was a Muslim and got converted to Islam in 2005 in order to marry her. Thomas had already married earlier and still developed relationship with his personal assistant. 

The police are of the opinion that this relationship might have proved costly to Joy Thomas as it seems that he is head over heels in love with this lady. The fact of registering nine flats in her name in the city of Pune is a strong evidence of this bond between him and the lady.

Joy Thomas, Rakesh Wadhwan and his son Sarang, promoters of HDIL, along with former chairman of PMC Waryam Singh are under police custody for the alleged Rs 4,355 crore PMC Bank cheating fraud. 

The personal assistant of Joy Thomas with whom he had an affair and subsequently married in 2005 was working in the company till that time. An investigating officer said that she conveyed to her colleagues while she left the job in 2005, that she was shifting to Dubai as her groom with whom her marriage was fixed was working there. Nobody in the bank heard about this lady after that. 

Joy changed his faith to Islam and his name to Junaid in order to marry this lady. It is learnt that the PA, after marrying Joy, shifted her base to Pune. Invariably, Joy was travelling between Mumbai and Pune. Now the investigating team is trying to find out the source by which the lady bought this nine flats valued at Rs 4 crore in Pune. If it is found that these were bought through the money of fraud, then these properties will be attached as per the information given by the investigating officer. 

The investigating sleuth also said that Joy Thomas has revealed that no one knows his Islamic name of Junaid and also his conversion to Islam as it is not shown in any of the financial records. He continues to be Joy Thomas for all official purposes. "It is like getting converted for convenience," said the officer. 

Four flats owned by Joy Thomas in Mumbai and Pune have been already attached by the police. One of them was registered in the name of his son from the first wife. According to the investigating officer, Joy Thomas and his second wife have adopted a girl, who is 11-years-old now besides having a 10-year-old son. The second wife, who was Joy Thomas's personal assistant before marriage, owns a boutique, in addition to making and selling chocolates and also gets the rental income from the nine flats of Pune. 

It is learnt that the first wife of Joy Thomas has filed for divorce on learning about his conversion to Islam and also for marrying his former personal assistant.