Fake PA to Dy CM Shinde dupes 18 persons of Rs 55 Lakh; wife also booked

A man has been booked in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district along with his wife for allegedly claiming to be the personal assistant of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and duping 18 persons of more than Rs 55 lakh, a police official said on Saturday.

Hitesh Ramesh Sanghvi and his wife Arpita Sanghvi, residents of Pachora in Jalgaon, had promised people government jobs, tenders, MHADA houses etc, the official added.

"Dairy businessman Harshal Bari came in contact with Sanghvi, who told him he was the PA of the deputy CM and has an office in Mantralaya in south Mumbai. Bari gave him Rs 10 lakh for a MHADA flat and Rs7 lakh for a railway job for his wife," the official said.

"The accused used to show fake letterheads, documents, appointment letters to dupe people. Bari had given him Rs 13.38 lakh between November 2024 and August 8 this year. After realising he had been duped, Bari lodged a complaint on Thursday," the official said.

A case of cheating and other offences has been registered against the Sanghvi couple at Shanipeth police station, the official said.

PTI