Mumbai: The Mumbai police have registered a case against four persons, including a civic engineer, for allegedly cheating 43 job aspirants of Rs33 lakh by promising them employment in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Accused Include BMC Peon
According to the FIR, the complainant, Anilkumar Krishnarao Gonjari, 50, a resident of Krishna Colony, Morya Chowk in Sangli district, who runs Aditi Motors and is engaged in agriculture, lodged a complaint on December 31, 2025. He alleged that the accused lured him and several others with assurances of securing jobs in the BMC by claiming links with senior officials from the civic body’s L Ward.
The accused have been identified as Maya Narendra Chavan, 59, a peon in the Solid Waste Department (L Ward, Kurla West), her son Prathamesh Chavan, Surendra Gurav, 45, Rahul Jadhav (B.M.C. Engineer), and other associates.
Ulwe Connection
Police investigations revealed that Chavan resides in Ulwe, Navi Mumbai, where Gonjari’s brother-in-law also lives. Gonjari was introduced to Chavan and her son in June 2024 during a visit to his relative’s residence. Chavan allegedly told Gonjari that she could arrange jobs in the BMC for his relatives and acquaintances. She later sent him a photograph of a purported newspaper advertisement announcing vacancies for various posts in the civic body.
Gonjari subsequently informed friends and relatives about the opportunity and met Chavan in Navi Mumbai to discuss the recruitment process. The complainant stated that he and others were called to the L Ward office in Kurla, where they were introduced to Gurav and Jadhav. An individual present at the meeting allegedly wore an identity card bearing the name Anil Madhav Badade, Assistant Engineer, Solid Waste Department, L Ward, BMC, as per the FIR.
Chavan allegedly assured the candidates that no written examination would be required as she had set arrangements within the department. She demanded Rs1.70 lakh for peon posts, Rs1.80 lakh for clerk posts, and Rs2.50 lakh each for RA clerk and head clerk posts. An advance ranging from Rs60,000 to Rs1 lakh was to be paid at the time of submitting forms.
₹24.68 Lakh Transferred Digitally
Initially, Gonjari transferred money for seven candidates. After receiving assurances, he facilitated payments for 36 more aspirants. A total of Rs24.68 lakh was transferred to bank accounts provided by the accused, while Rs8.30 lakh was allegedly paid in cash in Mumbai, taking the total to Rs33 lakh.
Several candidates were also sent for medical examinations at Parekh Hospital in Ghatkopar East to lend credibility to the process. On June 5, 2025, Chavan reportedly executed a notarised affidavit on a Rs500 bond paper acknowledging receipt of Rs33 lakh from 43 candidates and promising repayment by July 10, 2025, failing which legal action could be initiated.
Notarised Affidavit on ₹500 Bond Paper
When the money was not returned, the victims approached Kurla police station. During inquiry, it emerged that the bank accounts of Prashant Sutar and Someshwar Ibitwar were allegedly used without their knowledge of the fraud’s nature.
Police have booked Chavan, her son Prathamesh, Gurav, Jadhav, and others under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Act, for cheating and forgery. Further investigation is underway.
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