Man held for calling Maharashtra home department, posing as Sharad Pawar

Sharad Pawar. File Pic

A man has been arrested along with two others for allegedly calling the Maharashtra home department officials about transfer-related issues while posing as NCP chief Sharad Pawar, police said on Thursday.

Home department officials at Mantralaya, the government headquarters here, suspected that somebody was mimicking Pawar's voice over phone and alerted police. A case was registered under IPC section 419 (cheating by personation) at Gamdevi Police Station on Wednesday night, said a police official.

The Anti Extortion Cell (AEC) of the Mumbai crime branch also initiated parallel investigation and arrested the main accused along with his two aides (names not yet disclosed), he said. Investigation revealed that the man had used a call-spoofing app which facilitates voice change, the official added.

The NCP is part of the ruling coalition in Maharashtra. Home minister Dilip Walse Patil is from the NCP. Similar calls had been made regarding land transactions from Chakan area of Pune district on August 9 and an FIR was registered at Chakan police station, the official said, adding that probe was on.

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