In a shocking case, four individuals allegedly extorted nearly 3 lakh rupees from a female deputy engineer working in the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), threatening her over a supposed fraud transaction of around 300 crore rupees. Kherwadi Police have filed charges against Ravi Dahiya, Sanjay Singh, Ganesh Gaitonde, and Vijayan under extortion, fraud, and the Information Technology Act.
The 41-year-old complainant, a resident of Pratiksha Nagar, works as a deputy engineer with MHADA. On November 8, while she was at her office, she received a phone call from an unknown person claiming to be "Ravi Dahiya" from the Telecom Authority of India. He informed her that her mobile number was set to be blocked due to a SIM card, allegedly registered in her name, being used to send obscene messages.
Following this, the call was transferred to another individual who introduced himself as "Sanjay Singh." He claimed there had been unauthorized usage of her Aadhaar card and sent a message to her WhatsApp account. Shortly after, he initiated a video call, asserting that he was from the Cyber Cell and that his senior officer, Ganesh Gaitonde, would speak to her.
When "Ganesh Gaitonde" took over the call, he informed the woman that a woman named Pooja Mhatre had committed a financial fraud worth 300 crore rupees, which was under investigation. He claimed that, prior to marriage, a bank account was opened in the complainant's name where an alleged amount of 26.28 lakh rupees was transferred, connecting her to the fraud.
Under severe mental stress, the complainant was convinced to provide her bank details. Gaitonde, along with an individual named "Vijayan," reportedly coerced her into transferring a total of 3 lakh rupees into various bank accounts to avoid any legal action and arrest.
The complainant eventually shared the ordeal with her husband, who suspected fraud and advised her to report it to the police. She approached Kherwadi Police, leading to a case against the four accused under multiple sections related to extortion and fraud. The police are now investigating the transactions and tracing the accused based on bank records.