Pune: Thynk Technology India Accused of Salary Fraud; 700 Interns, Employees Left Unpaid for 4 Months

By Samiccha Malik 
Hinjawadi, 26th May 2026: A Pune-based IT company is facing serious allegations of salary fraud, bounced cheques, and financial exploitation after approximately 700 interns and employees claim they were left unpaid for over four months. Thynk Technology India, headquartered at Gera’s Imperial Rise, opposite Wipro Circle, Hinjawadi Phase 2, Pune, has allegedly shut down operations without settling dues, leaving victims jobless, financially drained, and seeking legal recourse. The fraud, victims allege, was not limited to employees and interns alone, but also vendors, laptop rental agencies, and even the company’s office landlord are reportedly among those with pending payments.

At the centre of the controversy is the company’s CEO and Director, Harshal Bhanudas Thakare, whom multiple victims have identified as solely responsible for the crisis.

A former employee of the company, who spoke to PunekarNews on condition of anonymity, described a workplace that appeared functional and reliable when they first joined in mid-2025. Salaries and stipends were paid on time through December 2025. The internship programme offered students a monthly stipend of Rs. 15,000, and employees received their salaries regularly. Nothing, the source said, indicated what was coming.

The trouble began in February 2026. When the usual payment date of the 7th or 8th passed without salaries being credited, employees approached the management for answers. The CEO cited an internal audit, promising that all dues would be cleared by February 25th to 28th. The HR team followed up with a formal email confirming the revised date. The payment never came.

What followed was a months-long cycle of broken promises. A budget meeting in early March, then fresh dates in April, the 20th, the 29th, the 30th, each one came and went without payment. In a group meeting with victims, Thakare allegedly stated he would need three more months to clear all dues. As of the date of this report, no payments have been made.

The allegations go beyond unpaid salaries. According to the former employee, students joining the company’s internship programme were asked to pay a Rs 15,000 security deposit upfront. Employees were further pressured by the management to conduct intern evaluations and were then handed cheques signed by Thakare to distribute to interns as supposed refunds or payments. When interns attempted to deposit these cheques at their banks, they bounced.

In a particularly alarming development, the employee revealed that on April 29, 2026, Thakare sent an email to the bank declaring his cheques as missing  effectively blocking any further attempt by victims to encash them. “The bank manager told us that if we try to deposit the cheque again, there can even be a legal case against us,” the source said. Adding to suspicions of premeditated fraud, the bank reportedly informed victims that Thakare’s account never held more than Rs. 2,000 at any point. “It looks like he had already planned everything and never intended to pay us,” the source added.

“It’s not one month, two months, it’s all for four months. For four months, you are not giving a salary, and that is not right,” the former employee told this reporter, their voice reflecting a frustration shared by many.

The financial loss has been compounded by a broader sense of helplessness. The employee, along with several others, said they are currently unemployed and unable to secure new jobs, while the matter remains unresolved. “We are jobless right now and we don’t want to finish our career,” the source said. Many affected are students or young professionals for whom this was their first exposure to the corporate world.

On April 20, 2026, interns and employees took their grievances to a Pune police station, filing a complaint against the company. The CEO reportedly assured them the very next day that payments were forthcoming, and claimed he had already spoken with the police. The assurance, like those before it, led nowhere. Police, however, reportedly cautioned victims that recovering the money was not guaranteed, and that the mention of a laptop provision in the offer letter complicated the legal proceedings further.

A formal written complaint has also been filed with the Deputy Labour Commissioner, Pune District, documents accessed by PunekarNews confirm. Legal proceedings are currently ongoing, with victims pursuing action on multiple fronts.

In a message to victims, Thakare acknowledged the delays and expressed regret, stating that payment commitments had been made “in good faith” based on expected financial arrangements that failed to materialise. He admitted that security deposits had been used for operational expenses, describing it as a consequence of a “severe financial crisis.”

He further acknowledged that repeated missed deadlines had damaged trust, saying, “If I were in your position, I would also feel hurt, doubtful, and frustrated.”

However, in the same communication, victims were urged in Marathi not to pursue legal action, with a warning that doing so would make the process “more time-consuming.” They were instead asked to show “patience and cooperation” and allow the company more time. Critics say this amounts to pressure on victims to withdraw from legitimate legal proceedings.

On May 1, 2026, Thakare issued a formal Settlement and Payment Commitment Letter on behalf of ThynkTech India OPC Pvt. Ltd., acknowledging all pending dues including salaries, security deposits, and laptop deposits. The letter requested a maximum period of three months for full settlement, assured victims that the company was not absconding, and promised transparent communication going forward. It was signed by Thakare himself as Director.

Despite this written commitment, victims remain deeply sceptical. The bounced cheques, the bank email blocking encashment, and a pattern of missed deadlines spanning four months have left little room for trust. “People who know him are also saying that he is not going to give the money,” the former employee said.

The company’s operations appear to have since ceased entirely, with sources confirming that Thynk Technology India is now closed. Beyond employees and interns, vendors who provided services to the company, the agency that supplied laptops on rental, and the landlord of the company’s Hinjawadi office are also reportedly awaiting payments painting a picture of a company that may have been financially hollow for far longer than it let on.

Note: The company did not respond to the media query sent by Punekar News.