Four BJP MLAs accuses two civil service aspirants of 'cheating'

• Image Credit: Internet

• Jul 22, 2022 | Poonam Nath

Police located the pair as the one used to contact BJP MLAs and the other to receive online payments.

Digital Desk: A young man and woman preparing for the civil service exams were detained concerning a case in which four BJP women MLAs from Maharashtra were duped after the man sought assistance for his mother's "illness."

Mukesh Rathod, aged 25, of the Lonar taluka in the Buldhana district, and Sunita Kshirsagar, aged 24, of Aurangabad, have been named as the suspects who were apprehended.

Police located the pair after looking into two numbers: one used to contact BJP MLAs and the other to receive online payments. Police are investigating whether any other famous people have been defrauded in this way.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 5) Namrata Patil, the two met in Aurangabad while preparing for competitive exams.

A First Information Report regarding the alleged deception of MLAs Madhuri Misal of Pune, Meghna Bordikar of Jintur, Shweta Mahale of Buldhana, and Devyani Farande of Nashik was filed at the Bibwewadi police station on July 12. 

As reported, Pooja, Misal's daughter, had previously contacted the Pune City Police's Cyber Crime Branch. The case was transferred to the Bibwewadi police station after a preliminary investigation. The complaint claims that Mukesh Rathod, the suspect, called Madhuri Misal earlier in the day to make contact.

While Rathod in a call had told Misal that his mother had been hospitalised at a private hospital in Baner and that he needed money to buy medicine. Misal's daughter sent him Rs 3,400 through an online payment platform to a phone number he shared with Kshirsagar.

Similar calls were later made to three other female MLAs, who also gave money to Rathod.

The case was filed under Section 419 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with impersonation, as well as the provisions of the Information Technology Act. On Wednesday, the two were apprehended.

"Two teams were sent to Buldhana and Aurangabad, where the two were arrested," said Senior Inspector Vilas Sonde, in charge of the Bibwewadi police station.

Mukesh Rathod, according to officials, has a degree in arts, while Sunita Kshirsagar has a degree in science. According to police, the two needed money for routine expenses while studying for civil service exams.