13 April,2026 10:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Police said the magnitude of the fraud may increase as more victims come forward. Representational Pic
The Mumbai Police have registered an FIR against 13 people for allegedly cheating ten individuals of Rs 1.54 crore on the pretext of providing government jobs, an official said on Monday.
According to PTI, all the accused are currently absconding, and efforts are underway to arrest them.
The complainant, a construction contractor residing in Charkop, came into contact with the main accused, identified as Satish Wankhede, through a friend.
Wankhede allegedly claimed that he had strong connections with senior officials in various government departments and could secure jobs without examinations. To gain trust, he reportedly shared fake appointment letters via WhatsApp, police said, the news agency reported.
He promised jobs in the State Excise Department, Thane Municipal Corporation, and the State Legislature, demanding Rs 60 lakh in return. Out of this, Rs 20 lakh was taken as an advance. He further collected Rs 10 lakh for a Police Sub-Inspector post but failed to deliver.
Subsequently, Wankhede and other accused targeted acquaintances of the complainant and organised meetings to lure more victims.
When the promised jobs did not materialise, the accused issued fake appointment letters. Upon verification, the documents were found to be forged.
Police said the magnitude of the fraud may increase as more victims come forward. An investigation is underway.
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to quash the CBI FIR in the alleged land-for-jobs case involving Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members, reported the PTI.
A bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh granted the 77-year-old former Bihar chief minister exemption from appearing before the trial court during the proceedings, the news agency reported.
The top court permitted Yadav to raise the issue of the applicability of Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act during the trial.
Yadav has argued that the investigation, FIR and subsequent chargesheets are invalid due to the absence of prior sanction required under this provision, according to the PTI.
(With PTI inputs)
