Navi Mumbai: Two brothers from Chembur were duped of Rs 8.71 lakh by a conman who promised them jobs in a government department. The accused, Sandip Gaikwad, along with his accomplice Gulab Jha—who posed as a Mantralaya official—has been booked by Khandeshwar Police for fraud and embezzlement. Police have launched a search operation to nab the duo.
According to police, the victims, Prathamesh and Prajyot, came in contact with Gaikwad in 2020. He claimed to have strong connections within the Mantralaya and assured them of government jobs through those contacts. To gain their trust, Gaikwad took the brothers to the Mantralaya and introduced them to Gulab Jha, who pretended to be a senior government official.
Convinced by the elaborate setup, the brothers were persuaded to fill out several recruitment forms for various government departments. Over time, Gaikwad, a Khanda Colony resident, allegedly collected a total of Rs 8.71 lakh from them under the pretense of processing fees and administrative expenses.
However, when the promised jobs did not materialize, and repeated requests for a refund were ignored, the brothers began to suspect foul play.
"Eventually, they approached us and lodged a formal complaint. We are investigating further and trying to trace the accused," an official from Khandeshwar police station said.
