Mumbai: Man Posing As CM Devendra Fadnavis' OSD Arrested For Allegedly Extorting More Than ₹3 Crore From Contractor

Mumbai: The Marine Drive Police have arrested a 40-year-old Aurangabad resident for allegedly impersonating an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and extorting Rs 3.25 crore from a civil contractor under the pretext of clearing pending Public Works Department (PWD) bills worth Rs 50 crore.

The accused has been identified as Asif Ismail Pathan, a resident of Aurangabad. According to police, he allegedly posed as a senior official associated with the Chief Minister's Office and promised to facilitate the clearance of the contractor's outstanding bills.

Accused Allegedly Demanded Another ₹75 Lakh

According to a Times of India report, Pathan allegedly continued demanding money even after receiving Rs 3.25 crore from the complainant. He reportedly demanded an additional Rs 75 lakh and threatened that the money already paid would be lost and the pending bills would remain uncleared if the contractor failed to comply.

The complainant, identified as Ranjitsingh Oberoi of Akola-based Oberoi Construction, subsequently approached the police and filed a complaint against the accused.

Contractor Allegedly Paid ₹1.5 Crore In Mumbai

According to the complaint, Pathan allegedly introduced himself as a senior official at Mantralaya and assured Oberoi that he could help clear the company's pending PWD bills.

The accused also allegedly put the contractor in contact with another person who claimed to have the authority to facilitate the clearance of the outstanding payments.

Believing the assurances, Oberoi reportedly arranged Rs 1.5 crore and travelled to Mumbai on September 10, where he handed over the money to an associate of the accused. The complaint further alleged that Pathan subsequently demanded another Rs 2 crore on September 15.

Court Remands Accused To Police Custody Till November 6

Following Oberoi's complaint, the Marine Drive Police registered an FIR against Pathan under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The accused was produced before a court, which remanded him to police custody until November 6. During the remand proceedings, police reportedly informed the court that further investigation was necessary to identify and arrest other individuals allegedly involved in the case.

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