Mumbai, Jan 12: The Mumbai Police have uncovered an alleged attempt to intimidate and blackmail a senior government doctor after Dr Rajesh Chandrakant Dere (52), Head of the Forensic Medicine Department at Nair Hospital, was threatened with police action over a false molestation allegation.
The accused allegedly impersonated police personnel to pressure him. The Agripada police have registered a case against four individuals in the matter.
Threatening calls and false allegations
According to the FIR, Dr Dere resides with his family at Pokhran Road No. 1 in Thane West and has been serving as the head of the Forensic Medicine Department at Nair Hospital since 2024.
On November 23, 2025, and again on December 10, 2025, he received threatening phone calls in which the callers claimed that a woman had lodged a molestation complaint against him and warned him of police action. He was allegedly abused and summoned to Panvel under the pretext of an inquiry.
Complaint leads to probe
Dr Dere lodged a complaint at the Agripada police station on December 12. Based on his complaint, police registered a non-cognisable offence under Sections 351(4) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act after obtaining court permission and initiated a preliminary investigation, which exposed the conspiracy.
Calls traced to Navi Mumbai
Investigations revealed that the phone calls made on November 23 originated from a mobile number belonging to Sahil Machindra Waghmode (21), a resident of Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai, while the calls on December 10 were traced to a number belonging to Tushar Dadaso Mugdum (20), also from the Kalamboli node in Navi Mumbai.
Link to hospital staff dispute
Dr Dere’s wife, Geetanjali Dere, runs Miracle Hospital at Palspe, New Panvel. Two of the accused, Rishikesh Sudam Yewale (26), a pharmacist, and Ajay Santosh Kadam (22), an X-ray technician, were previously employed at the hospital.
Due to delays in salary payments between September and November, disputes had arisen between them and the hospital management. While Yewale resigned and was paid in full, Kadam allegedly remained upset over unpaid dues.
Police said that Kadam, along with Yewale, Mugdum and Waghmode, who all reside in the same area and frequently met at Kamothe Garden, conspired to threaten Dr Dere.
Impersonation of police officers
On November 23, Waghmode allegedly called Dr Dere three times, impersonating a police constable named Mhatre from the Panvel police station, and claimed that a woman staff member had complained of harassment. He allegedly warned of tracking Dr Dere’s location and taking action if he failed to appear at the police station.
On December 10, Mugdum’s phone was allegedly used to make multiple calls in which Waghmode posed as Bhaiyya Gaikwad, president of the so-called King Maker Group, and abused Dr Dere while questioning him over the alleged molestation case. In another call, Yewale allegedly introduced himself under a false name and made misleading statements to further intimidate the doctor.
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Further investigation underway
Police allege that Kadam masterminded the threats due to resentment over unpaid salary and acted in collusion with the other three accused. Based on Dr Dere’s complaint, the Agripada police have registered a case under relevant sections of the BNS and are conducting further investigation.
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