‘PWD secretary’ arrested for taking job seekers for a ride

Had cheated people from Mumbai, Pune, Satara, Aurangabad for over an year

May 05, 2017 12:19 am | Updated 12:19 am IST

Navi Mumbai: A man, who had been cheating people from Mumbai, Pune, Satara and Aurangabad, for over an year by posing as the secretary of the Public Works Department (PWD) and promising jobs, was arrested by the Nerul police on Tuesday night.

The accused, identified as Sachin Patil (32), had conned around 22 people from Navi Mumbai of ₹48 lakh, by promising them jobs with the PWD as a clerk. Mr. Patil was wanted by the Khed, Phaltan, Hinjewadi, Aurangabad, and the Shirwal police in Satara district.

“The accused, who used to introduce himself as Mr. Mulik, is suspected to have cheated more than 50 people using the same modus operandi. He used to take around ₹2 to ₹2.5 lakh from each candidate and give them appointment letters on the letter head of the PWD. The victims would realise about the fraud once they approach the PWD with the letters. The accused made these letters himself on a computer,” said assistant police inspector Sushilkumar Gaikwad.

The accused resided in Sangli with his wife and children, but kept visiting Navi Mumbai to meet his girlfriend. He regularly changed his mobile numbers due to which he was not being traced for a long time.

A case against Mr. Patil was registered on June 20, 2016, with the Nerul police. The police had got information about his girlfriend in Kharghar and had been keeping a watch.

Later, they got a tip-off about Mr. Patil come to Kharghar to meet another job seeker, and laid a trap.

To make the victims believe his claims, he used to travel in a Honda Accord with an amber beacon and conduct meetings only at three-star hotels. “His smart dressing and the way he conducted meetings at posh hotels made the job seekers believe his claims and fell for it. The accused was just a Standard XII pass and had employed two people who helped him get job seekers,” said Mr. Gaikwad.

He was arrested under Sections 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and 34 (acts done by several people) of the IPC. He was produced before court on Wednesday and remanded in police custody till May 9.

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