Ex-Army men pose as CM aides, dupe man of ₹3.25 crore in Mumbai

The deceit crumbled when Oberoi made quiet inquiries at the Chief Minister’s Office, only to discover no such OSD existed on the government roster.

The Marine Drive police have arrested a former Indian Army soldier for posing as an armed bodyguard to a fake Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) official.

Police are now probing whether the syndicate duped other contractors using similar ploys. (Representative Image/PTI)

The arrested ex-serviceman, Rajesh Kamble, hailing from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, was nabbed days after his fellow ex-serviceman, Asif Ismail Pathan, 40, was taken into custody. Pathan had allegedly been masquerading as an officer on Special Duty (OSD) to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, weaving an elaborate web of VIP influence to target wealthy civic contractors.

Contractor promised fast-track of pending bills

The duo’s primary victim was Akola-based infrastructure contractor Ranjitsingh Oberoi of Oberoi Constructions, who was desperately attempting to recover pending Public Works Department (PWD) dues totaling nearly ₹50 crore.

Smelling a lucrative target, Pathan and Kamble approached Oberoi, promising to use their top-tier Mantralaya connections to fast-track his long-overdue payments—for a steep commission. To execute the illusion, Pathan travelled in rented luxury cars while Kamble stood guard by his side, wielding a licensed pistol to project the aura of a high-security government official.

The elaborate theatrics convinced Oberoi, who was even introduced to a fake “final authority” in the bureau. Fearing crippling financial losses on his stalled projects, Oberoi scrambled funds from secondary businesses and friends, eventually handing over ₹3.25 crore in cash directly to Kamble, the fake bodyguard.

The deceit crumbled when Oberoi made quiet inquiries at the Chief Minister’s Office, only to discover no such OSD existed on the government roster.

Realising he had been duped, the contractor rushed to the Marine Drive police station.

Police investigation

Investigators launched a crackdown and booking both men for impersonation, extortion, criminal intimidation, and criminal conspiracy. Both are in police custody.

Police are now probing whether the syndicate duped other contractors using similar ploys.