A 43-year-old man was arrested by Pune police on Monday for posing as a police officer and duping two people to the tune of over ₹51 lakh under false pretext of getting one of them a job in the customs department.
The arrested man was identified as Rajendra Ramchandra Shinde (43), a resident of Tukai Tekdi area of Kalepoadal in Hadapsar and Sulochana Dadu Sonawane (37), a resident of Tingrenagar in Vishrantwadi.
A case was lodged against the two by a man identified as Deepak Mundada (51) a resident of Shaniwar peth area of Pune.
In 2014, the man had met the complainant at his Ganapati idol stall and told him that he is an assistant sub inspector in Mumbai police. He had made an occasional phone call and visit until 2017 when he told Mundada that there were positions opening in the customs department where he knows some high-rankingofficers.
He told Mundada that a clerk position for his nephew would cost ₹15 lakh and a superintendent position for his son, who is more educated, would cost ₹25 lakh. However, over a period of time, after multiple visits to Mumbai, Mundada ended up paying ₹51, 17,400 to him. In the meanwhile, he brought a female wearing a khaki uniform and cap to meet with Mundada in a car.
“Shinde told them that she is a high-ranking customs officer. She used to sit with him in a car and roam with him and he told everyone that she is a high-ranking government officer. She is his second wife and is involved in the crime with him,” said Police sub inspector Shrikant Sawant of Faraskhana police station who is investigating the case.
{{/usCountry}}“Shinde told them that she is a high-ranking customs officer. She used to sit with him in a car and roam with him and he told everyone that she is a high-ranking government officer. She is his second wife and is involved in the crime with him,” said Police sub inspector Shrikant Sawant of Faraskhana police station who is investigating the case.
{{/usCountry}}Since 2017, Shinde allegedly duped Mundada of ₹51, 17,400 under various reasons including the fee for application etc. In 2018, he took the two boys to a facility in Mahim where they underwent medical tests and Shinde gave them material like uniform, shoes, cap.
When Mundada’s friend got interested in the process, Shinde again showed up in a uniform but wore a name plate describing him as an “assistant police inspector” which is much higher in rank than ASI. That made Mundada suspicious and his relatives helped him catch Shinde.
The police have urged other people who may have been duped by Shinde and Sonawane to come forward and lodge a complaint.
A case under Sections 170 (personating a public servant), 171 (wearing garb or carrying token used by public servant with fraudulent intent), 406 (criminal breach of trusts), and 420 (cheating) of Indian Penal Code (IPC).