In a startling incident at the Mumbai Police Headquarters, three men allegedly entered Police Commissioner Deven Bharti’s public hearing session (Janata Darbar) claiming to be associated with a Union Minister’s personal assistant (PA). An investigation later revealed the claims to be false, leading to the registration of a cheating case against them. One accused has been questioned and released after being served a notice.
Every Tuesday, Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti conducts a Janata Darbar where citizens can present their grievances directly to him. On October 28, around 3:30 p.m., three individuals — Ashok Shah (58) of Santacruz, Jitendra Vyas (57) of Kandivali, and Dhirendra Kumar Vyas (52) of Bhayandar — arrived at the Commissioner’s office. They told on-duty officers that they had come to meet the Commissioner on the recommendation of one Bharat Mann, who they claimed was the PA to a Union Minister.
When officers grew suspicious and questioned them further, Dhirendra Vyas explained that Ashok Shah was a victim of a financial fraud and that Bharat Mann had arranged the appointment with the Commissioner. However, when officials verified the claim, it turned out that no such person named Bharat Mann worked as a PA to any Union Minister.
Upon further investigation, police examined Dhirendra Vyas’s mobile phone and found a contact saved under the name “Bharat Mann.” The WhatsApp display picture associated with the number carried the Ashoka emblem of the Government of India, apparently to mislead others into believing the person was a government official.
According to sources, Dhirendra Vyas had previously been booked in a 2015 cheating case registered at Kalachowki Police Station. Given the seriousness of the current case, Vyas was detained at the Commissioner’s office itself and later booked at Azad Maidan Police Station.
He has been charged under sections 204 (false claim of holding a government position), 319 (cheating by personation), and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). After interrogation, Vyas was issued a notice and released.
Meanwhile, the Crime Branch Unit 1 has taken over the probe to trace the origin of the mobile number being used under the name “Bharat Mann.”