Pune: A retired army veteran, Suresh Naik, has accused two individuals of defrauding him of ₹17.27 lakh by promising jobs in the Indian Railways. The Wanawadi Police have registered a case against the accused, identified as Sanjivani Patne (27) and Shubham Mode.

Patne allegedly portrayed herself as the wife of an army personnel and claimed to hold a ticket collector (TC) position in the railways. She produced fake documents, including a TC ID card and badge, to convince the victim of her authenticity.

Naik was assured that his niece and another family member would be hired as ticket collectors. In return, he paid substantial sums of money. Patne provided counterfeit appointment letters and sent forged bank receipts to support her claims.

Patne also sought additional money, citing her husband's supposed brain tumor and the need for funds for his treatment. When Naik realized the appointment letters were fake, he demanded his money back.

Patne allegedly stalled repayment, claiming a bank loan approval was pending. Later, Naik received death threats when he continued pursuing the matter.

This is not the first allegation against Patne. Earlier, a case was filed at the Nigdi Police Station, where she reportedly befriended a beauty parlor owner and defrauded the owner and her brother of ₹8.5 lakh with similar job promises. The Wanawadi Police have initiated a detailed investigation into the current complaint.