Navi Mumbai, July 13, 2026: Panvel City Police have arrested a 44-year-old man for allegedly impersonating a senior Crime Branch officer and cheating a Panvel-based realtor and his associates of Rs 4.75 lakh on the pretext of recovering pending dues.
The accused, identified as Pranav alias Santosh Walunje, allegedly wore a police uniform with three stars on his shoulders, carried a fake police identity card and projected himself as a senior Navi Mumbai Crime Branch officer to gain the complainant's trust.
Fake Officer Allegedly Duped Realtor
According to the police, the complainant, Satyavan Vasant Gharat (52), a resident of Karanjade and a real estate businessman, had around Rs 15–16 lakh stuck with several people.
Exploiting this, Gharat's friend, Sandeep Ghangave, allegedly introduced him to Walunje, claiming he was a senior Crime Branch officer capable of recovering the pending amount.
A few months ago, Walunje, accompanied by Mahadev Kondilkar and Nathuram Pawar, allegedly visited Gharat's residence dressed in full police uniform with the insignia of a Police Inspector and carrying a fake police identity card.
The duo introduced Walunje as a senior officer in the Navi Mumbai Crime Branch with influential political connections and claimed that he specialised in recovering money for people involved in financial disputes.
Believing their claims, Gharat allegedly paid the trio Rs 2 lakh as commission and shared details of the persons who owed him money.
However, instead of recovering the dues, the accused allegedly approached two persons known to Gharat—Satish Sable and Vipul Keswal—and, posing as police officers, threatened them with legal action before collecting Rs 2.75 lakh in Gharat's name.
Police Launch Investigation
When Gharat repeatedly demanded the return of his money, the accused allegedly avoided him and continued to intimidate him by misusing the name of the police. He subsequently lodged a complaint with Panvel City Police.
Based on the complaint, Panvel City Police registered a case against Walunje, Kondilkar and Pawar under Sections 205 (personation), 316(2) (criminal breach of trust), 318(4) (cheating) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Walunje was arrested from Taloja, while efforts are underway to trace the two absconding accused.
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"We have arrested the main accused, who allegedly posed as a Crime Branch officer by wearing a police uniform and using a fake identity card to deceive the complainant. Investigation is underway to ascertain whether he cheated others using a similar modus operandi, and teams are searching for his absconding accomplices," a Panvel City Police officer said.
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