14 July,2026 04:57 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah Khan
The fraud came to light after the complainant realised that the request was fake and approached the police. Pic/Special Arrangement
Borivali Police in Mumbai arrested a 44-year-old man from Punjab for allegedly impersonating the personal assistant (PA) of BJP MLA Sanjay Upadhyay and later pretending to be the legislator himself to cheat people through WhatsApp, officials said.
The accused has been identified as Bhalindra Pal Baldev Singh Sehgal (44), a resident of SAS Nagar, Mohali, Punjab.
Police said he was arrested in connection with an online cheating case after an investigation traced his identity.
According to the police, the accused contacted the complainant on WhatsApp on July 7. He initially introduced himself as the personal assistant to BJP MLA Sanjay Upadhyay before later claiming that he was the MLA.
Police alleged that the accused told the complainant that he urgently needed money to pay the tuition fees of a girl studying at Lucknow University. Believing the story to be genuine, the complainant transferred Rs 8,000.
The fraud came to light after the complainant realised that the request was fake and approached the police.
During the investigation, Borivali Police tracked the suspect and arrested him from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Although the accused is a resident of SAS Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, police said he was found in Lucknow at the time of his arrest.
Police are now investigating whether the accused targeted other people using the same method and whether he was involved in similar cases elsewhere.
Police have advised the public to verify the identity of anyone requesting money through phone calls or messaging applications, even if the request appears to come from a well-known public figure or someone connected to them.
They have urged people not to transfer money without confirming the request through a trusted source and to report any suspicious messages to the police immediately.
