Pimpri Man Held Over Fake PCMC Recruitment Scheme

Pimpri-Chinchwad: A 26-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly cheating five people by offering them jobs in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s water supply department and using forged documents to make the recruitment offers appear genuine.

The accused has been identified as Pratik Rajesh Dhaije, a resident of Chakrapani Vasahat in Bhosari who originally hails from Akkalkot in Solapur district.

According to police, Dhaije allegedly collected a total of ₹1,14,112 from five people after assuring them of employment with the civic body. Fake documents and appointment letters were allegedly provided as part of the scheme.

The matter surfaced after the Anti-Extortion Cell of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Crime Branch received information about the suspected job fraud on September 12. Officers subsequently contacted the affected individuals and conducted a preliminary inquiry.

Following the inquiry, a case was registered at Bhosari Police Station on September 13. Investigators later traced Dhaije to the Dhawade Vasti area of Bhosari and took him into custody.

During the probe, police also found that Dhaije had been booked in another case at Bhosari Police Station in 2025. In that case, he was accused of collecting ₹22,41,760 from several people after allegedly promising to arrange affordable homes through the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA).

The latest operation was conducted by the Anti-Extortion Cell under senior officers of the Pimpri-Chinchwad police. Dhaije was subsequently handed over to Bhosari Police for further investigation.

Police have cautioned citizens against paying money to individuals claiming they can secure government jobs, housing or other official benefits, and advised people to verify such offers through authorised channels.