Bhayander union leader held for duping migrants, promised them trip to native place

Chandrashekhar Jadhav, a union leader, ran the Shramjeevi Kamgar Union at Jai Ambe Industrial Estate in Bhayander E, Maharashtra. He allegedly told migrants, who worked at many industrial units in the above area, to fill a transit form to reach their native place in north India.

A Bhayander-based union leader has been held by the Navghar police in Maharashtra for allegedly duping around 25 migrants. The man asked them to get transit forms so that they could reach their native place in North India amid the coronavirus lockdown. He also charged ₹200 and issued “receipts” but the trip was never made.

The receipt issued by the union leader to migrants promising them trip to their native place. (HT Photo)

Chandrashekhar Jadhav, a union leader, ran the Shramjeevi Kamgar Union at Jai Ambe Industrial Estate in Bhayander E, Maharashtra. He allegedly told migrants, who worked at many industrial units in the above area, to fill a transit form to reach their native place in north India. The migrants were charged ₹200 each and were issued receipts, said PI Prakash Birajdar of Navghar police station.

He even staged social distancing drill, as per rules, and the migrants believed him, said the official. “However, no forms were issued and the migrants lodged a complaint with us. We arrested him under Maharashtra Covid-19 Regulations, 2020 and Sections 269, 270 (spread of infectious disease) of the Indian Penal Coder. We arrested him on Sunday and released him on bail,” said Birajdar.

Jadhav claimed that he has a clearance from the Mira Bhayander civic body to enlist names of migrants stuck in the twin cities. “We are investigating the matter and checking his previous criminal record as we have reports that Jadhav was earlier arrested in similar cases,” said Birajdar.

Meantime, Sanjay Patil, Additional Superintendent of Police, Thane Rural, has warned people not to fall for such scams and inform the police about such fraudsters. The migrants should directly contact the District Collector, Thane online for the transit forms with all identity proofs and a medical certificate from by any approved government medical agency, Patil said.