Pune, 5th March 2026: A major job fraud has come to light in Pune where 16 people were allegedly cheated of ₹35.53 lakh after being promised employment in the Indian Railways. The incident took place in the Punyai Nagar area of Dhankawadi, police said.
A 58-year-old complainant lodged a complaint at Sahakarnagar Police Station, following which a case was registered against four accused, Nisarg Ravikiran Shah, Anilkumar Nagendra Vishwakarma, Vinodkumar Ramchandra Maurya, and Sanket Khanderao Paigude.
According to police, the complainant knew the accused earlier. The suspects had set up an office in a building in Punyai Nagar and claimed they had strong contacts with senior officials in the railway department. They assured the complainant that they could secure a railway job for his son.
Believing the promise, the complainant and 15 others allegedly paid the accused a total of ₹35.53 lakh for employment. However, after collecting the money, the suspects reportedly failed to provide any jobs and began avoiding the victims.
When repeated inquiries did not yield any response, the complainant approached the police and filed a formal complaint.
Assistant Police Inspector Sonali Kathale-Mithare is investigating the case. Police are also examining whether the accused cheated other people using a similar method.
Police have appealed to citizens to remain cautious and not pay money through middlemen for government jobs. They advised applicants to rely only on official recruitment notifications and report anyone offering jobs in exchange for money.