The Marine Drive police station had registered a complaint against two people for allegedly duping a 37-year-old electrical engineer for Rs 2 lakh under the pretext of “getting an approval for his work.” While speaking to Mid-Day the victim Santosh (name changed) said, “I am an electrical engineer, I wanted to develop an App for Mumbai traffic police`s e challan. I wanted to start my own startup. But now my dreams are shattered.” According to the victim, he had approached the Marine Drive police station to register an FIR against both the accused on August 21.

“In December 2021, via an NCP worker, I got a contact, his name was Prashant Navghare, I called him but he didn`t receive my calls. In January 2022, he himself called me and said that he would get the work done. He also called me to meet near Mantralaya, when I met him he claimed to be the personal assistant to the then Home Minister of the State Dilip Valse Patil. He showed a picture of him with Dilip ji to prove his point,” said the 37-year-old victim.

According to the FIR , Prashant Navghare then met the victim and then he said that his work would be done but for that he needs to make a payment of Rs 6 lakh and then his tender would be “approved.” He then said that he needs to pay Rs 1 lakh to the cyber security officer Nitesh Savdekar as he would approve his work. The victim then approached Sawdekar over a phone call. He re – assured that the victims` work would be done. The victim then made a company and named it as Trident Technology.

“In February 2022, I met Prashant and Nitesh Sawdekar near mantralaya. I asked Nitesh to provide his Identity Card, but he said that he couldn`t provide his ID card as it`s a “confidential document.” Sawdekar told me to show my application, he said it`s correct and he forwarded my application to Mantralaya,” said the victim.

According to the FIR, Navghare then called the victim and demanded Rs 1 lakh to get his work done. He said Sawdekar wouldn`t ” approve” his work otherwise. He then paid money to Navghare. And Sawdekar then ” approved” the victims` work.

On April 5, 2022 the victim met Navghare to register a Notary, he paid Rs 70,000 to him. “Navghare then called me and showed me the documents, the cyber security officer`s signature was missing from the document,” said the victim. On July 13, 2022 the victim received a work order from Navghare and he noticed that there were a lot of spelling errors in the work order.

“I sent the work order to my sister. We both realized that there were a lot of errors in it, so I asked Navghare to return my money back. He never returned the money back and now he is not receiving my calls,” said the victim. 

“I had approached the Goregaon police station when the crime took place , my application was submitted there and then since the crime took place in marine lines. The case got transferred there,” said the victim.

The Marine lines police station have filed an FIR against Nitesh Sawdekar and Prashant Navghare under section 420 (cheating), 464 (making false documents), 170 (Personating a public servant) and 34 (common intention) and other relevant sections of the IPC. When Mid Day contacted Dilip Valse Patil`s office, the office said, “Mr. Prashant Navghare didn`t work as the PA to Mr Dilip Valse Patil.”

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