The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has suspended a peon from its primary education department and lodged an FIR against him and two alleged accomplices for allegedly running a fake recruitment racket that duped a job aspirant of ₹45 lakh by issuing forged appointment letters, fake transfer orders and counterfeit official documents bearing fabricated signatures and seals of senior civic officers, officials said on Saturday.
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Prajit Nair, additional municipal commissioner, PMC, said the action had been pending for several weeks and was initiated after a whistleblower approached the civic administration. “We first contacted the victim, collected and analysed the available evidence and counselled the complainant to come forward and file an FIR. The PMC has also independently lodged an FIR in the matter. The employee has been suspended with immediate effect. Police will now investigate the money trail, while the PMC will continue to pursue the case and extend full cooperation to the investigation,” he said.
The complaint was filed on behalf of the PMC by Shalaka Vinayak Ghoge, superintendent in the general administration department, stating that the civic body began examining the matter after receiving a complaint in February this year. During scrutiny, officials found forged appointment letters, transfer orders and other fabricated documents purportedly issued by the PMC. A legal opinion obtained by the corporation suggested that the matter disclosed cognisable criminal offences, following which the PMC authorised registration of an FIR, they said.
“The FIR has been registered under Sections 3(5) (criminal act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 316(2) (criminal breach of trust), 316(5) (aggravated criminal breach of trust by a public servant), 318(4) (cheating), 336(2) (forgery), 336(3) (forgery of valuable security, will or authority), 338 (forgery of valuable documents or electronic records) and 340(2) (using a forged document or electronic record as genuine) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS),” said, senior police inspector, Girish Vishwasrao Dighavkar, attached to Shivajinagar police station.
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The action was taken following a complaint that triggered an internal inquiry. After verifying the allegations, the PMC approached Shivajinagar police and filed an FIR.
According to the FIR, the accused have been identified as Shivanand Balasaheb Patil, a peon attached to the PMC’s primary education department, along with two private individuals, Namita Govardhan Bansode and Rajendra Baban Khedekar, all residents of Pune. Police suspect the trio, along with other associates, created forged PMC letterheads, counterfeit seals and fake appointment orders to lure people with promises of civic jobs.
According to the FIR, ‘between May 24, 2022 and May 23, 2025, the accused collected ₹45 lakh from a Satara-based job aspirant after promising to secure him a post of junior engineer in the PMC. Investigators said the victim was allegedly handed forged appointment orders carrying fake signatures of senior civic officials, counterfeit departmental seals and even the PMC’s official emblem and watermark to make the documents appear genuine.’
Police suspect the accused may have cheated several other job seekers using a similar modus operandi.
In a parallel administrative action, the PMC suspended Patil on Friday with immediate effect pending a departmental inquiry. The suspension order stated that Patil’s alleged conduct had tarnished the civic body’s image and reflected serious negligence and misconduct. During the suspension period, he will remain bound by service rules and cannot leave the municipal limits without prior permission, said Kishori Shinde-Todmal, deputy commissioner, general administration, PMC.
