Fake CMO class one officer held for duping jeweller of Rs 2.8 crore

Mumbai, Dec 8 (PTI) A 32-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly posing as a class one officer with the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office and duping a jeweller for Rs 2.80 crore, officials said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Vaibhav Paresh Thakar, was remanded to police custody till December 12, a day after he was nabbed by officials of Lokmanya Tilak Marg police station in south Mumbai.

Thakar had allegedly cheated several people with this modus operandi, an official said.

He allegedly cheated a jeweller of Rs 2.80 crore between February and April 2024 by luring him with an offer to procure gold seized by the Customs Department at a discounted rate of seven per cent through auction.

The jeweller transferred Rs 1.15 crore to the account of a firm registered in the name of Thakar's wife Priyanka, he said, adding that the couple had claimed that the company was engaged in gold trading.

Police are also investigating Thakar's alleged links with state government officers, and using a vehicle with a yellow beacon. He also carried a fake government identity card. He allegedly had unrestricted access to the Chief Minister's official residence between February and April 2024.

His interrogation revealed that he had obtained an entry pass purportedly issued for the state legislature session last year.

He had also impersonated a personal assistant of an MLA, the official said.

Police have launched a hunt for Thakar's wife and other accused persons. PTI DC NSK