Pune: Fake PCMC Appointment Letter Scam Surfaces In Pimpri-Chinchwad; Kalewadi Youth Duped & Police Case Registered

Pimpri-Chinchwad: A young man was defrauded after being lured with the promise of a peon’s job at the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). The perpetrator convinced the victim of his employment by issuing a forged appointment letter and a circular featuring candidates’ names along with complete fake signatures and stamps.

The scam came to light when the victim enquired at the PCMC Main Administrative Building in Pimpri. That's when he discovered that no such recruitment process had taken place.

Suraj Sunil Nangre (26, resident of Kalewadi) has filed a complaint at the Sant Tukaram Nagar Police Station. Based on his statement, a case of fraud has been registered against Vaishnav Kalidas Shelke (27). The incident occurred between January 9 and February 20 within the PCMC jurisdiction. Vaishnav Shelke has been booked for multiple sections of fraud and cheating.

According to the police reports, the PCMC has not conducted any recruitment for the said posts in recent months. Vaishnav Shelke and the complainant, Suraj, were acquaintances. Vaishnav lured Suraj by claiming that recruitment for peon positions was underway and promised to secure him the job.

To gain Suraj’s trust, Vaishnav collected his official documents, including his Aadhaar and PAN cards. Over a period of time, he extracted Rs 6,500 from the victim.

Vaishnav eventually sent Suraj a fake appointment letter and a candidate circular bearing forged PCMC stamps and signatures. The victim was told he would receive a monthly salary of Rs 16,000 along with a Rs 16,000 dearness allowance (DA). The letter even specified the department and the date of joining.

Believing he had secured the job, a joyful Suraj visited the PCMC headquarters to complete formalities. However, officials informed him that no such recruitment drive had been conducted.

Following the discovery, Suraj approached the authorities. Along with his personal complaint, the PCMC administration has also submitted an application to the police seeking action in this matter. The Sant Tukaram Nagar Police are currently investigating the case.

PCMC’s Warning

On 23rd February, the PCMC administration had issued a public warning stating that no recruitment process was underway in the civic body. The clarification was released by the General Administration Department after fake job advertisements and appointment letters began circulating on social media platforms.

According to officials, misleading posts claiming recruitment for various municipal posts had been shared online, along with fraudulent candidate lists and fake appointment letters issued in the name of PCMC. The civic administration said it had received multiple complaints from citizens who were approached or misled by these advertisements.

Joint Municipal Commissioner Manoj Lonkar had urged citizens not to trust unverified recruitment messages and had advised them to check only the official PCMC website for authentic announcements. Police had also cautioned that similar fake job scams targeting government bodies and private companies were being circulated on platforms such as Facebook and Telegram.

Authorities had appealed to job seekers to verify information carefully to avoid falling victim to fraud.