Fake IAS officer held for duping 36 job aspirants of ₹2.88 crore

He posted as the deputy secretary in Staff Selection Committee of the Central government, and duping 36 villagers from Dharashiv by promising them jobs in the Income Tax department

Mumbai: A 35-year-old man from Solapur was arrested on Friday for allegedly posing as an Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer posted as the deputy secretary in Staff Selection Committee of the Central government, and duping 36 villagers from Dharashiv of ₹2.88 crore by promising them jobs in the Income Tax department.

Fake IAS officer held for duping 36 job aspirants of ₹2.88 crore

According to the police, the incident dates back to 2023 when the complainant Santosh Kharpude, a resident of Navi Mumbai, visited his niece in Dharashiv and learnt that several people from the village were going to meet Rathod and pay advance amount for securing a government job. “Rathod demanded ₹10 lakh from each aspirant. He accepted ₹4 lakh advance for assistant-level positions and ₹6 lakh for inspector-level posts in the Income Tax department, and said that the rest of the amount could be paid after joining,” said a police officer, adding that he had met the aspirants in a five-star hotel in Andheri East and gave them appointment letters.

“Kharpude paid ₹4 lakh advance for securing an assistant-level job for his niece. Rathod accepted a total of ₹2.88 crore from 36 youths from Dharashiv in May 2023 and gave appointment letters to them and also asked to get their medical test done in the government hospital in their district and submit the health certificates to him,” the officer added.

However, the appointment letters didn’t mention the joining date and location. When they tried to reach out to him for updates, he kept avoiding them, he said.

With no response from Rathod, Kharpude, along with a few other aspirants, approached the Income Tax department and learnt that no such appointments have been made. They then asked Rathod to refund their money, which he had agreed to but kept them waiting. On September 29, when Rathod no longer answered their calls and was unapproachable, Kharpude approached the Sahar police in Andheri East.

Subsequently, a case was registered against Rathod under Sections 318 (cheating), 319 (cheating by personation), 336 (forgery), 338 (forgery of valuable security will) and 340 (forged documents or electronic records) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and he was arrested on Friday.