Pune Crime: IT Student Creates Duplicate PMPML App To Travel For Free

Pune: An Information Technology student allegedly used his coding and programming skills to create a duplicate version of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) mobile application and generate fake daily passes to travel for free. He had reportedly been using the fake app since March 2025 before an alert PMPML conductor detected the fraud.

The suspect has been identified as Prathamesh Laxman Boge (20), a resident of Charholi near Red Cliff School. A complaint in the matter was lodged at the Koregaon Park police station by PMPML Assistant Depot Manager Ramdas Dundaji Virnak.

The incident came to light on Aug 30, 2026, at around 5.15 pm, when conductor Dattatray Jayabhaye noticed Boge travelling on a Bhekainagar-Alandi bus using a suspicious daily pass at the Ruby Hall bus stop.

According to police, Jayabhaye noticed discrepancies in the digital pass and alerted senior officials. Boge was subsequently traced and brought to the PMPML headquarters at Swargate for a technical examination of the application on his mobile phone.

During the examination, PMPML’s IT department found that the pass displayed on Boge’s phone did not match the official application. PMPML uses a specific background colour for daily passes each day. The colour displayed on Boge’s pass differed from the colour designated by PMPML for Aug 30, confirming that the pass was fake.

During questioning, Boge allegedly admitted that he was studying Information Technology at a reputed college and had used his knowledge of coding and programming to develop the duplicate application himself. He reportedly told officials that the application had been with him since March 2025 and that he used it whenever he did not have money to pay for travel.

Police have registered a case against Boge and are conducting further investigation.

Conductor's vigilance exposes fraud

Jayabhaye said this was not the first time he had detected passengers using fake PMPML passes. He claimed to have helped authorities identify five passengers involved in similar frauds.

According to Jayabhaye, close examination of the digital pass can reveal several indicators of authenticity. He said that when the pass is scrolled down, details such as the bus schedule and images of buses appear on the official application.

In Boge’s case, Jayabhaye noticed that the pass appeared slightly faded and that, although the schedule was visible when the screen was scrolled down, only the image of a single bus appeared instead of the expected information.

Jayabhaye questioned Boge about where he had downloaded the application. The student allegedly claimed that he had obtained it through a sticker displayed on a PMPML bus. When asked to produce the payment receipt for the pass, he reportedly said that his father had made the payment from his mobile phone.

Although the explanation initially appeared plausible, Jayabhaye remained suspicious and reported the matter to senior officials. A subsequent technical examination confirmed his suspicion.

Jayabhaye said he was satisfied that his vigilance had helped prevent further financial losses to PMPML and expose the misuse of a fake application.