Mumbai Fraud: Trio Dupes Bhandup Man Of ₹12 Lakh With Fake Railway Job, Forged Ministry Documents

A 41-year-old man from Bhandup has been cheated of Rs12 lakh by three individuals who promised him a job in the Indian Railways and handed over forged documents claiming to be from the Ministry of Railways. The Bhandup Police have registered a case of cheating and forgery against the accused Vikrant Radhakrishna Rane, his wife Ashwini Rane, and Prathamesh Shirish Lad.

According to the FIR, the complainant, Vinayak Dhondi Ghadi, a resident of Nardas Nagar in Bhandup (West) and a private sector employee, was introduced to the accused Vikrant Rane and his wife Ashwini in 2022. The couple, who lived in the same building, claimed to be employees of the Indian Railways, earning the trust of other residents.

In September 2022, they allegedly offered to help Ghadi secure a job in the Indian Railways. On October 4, 2022, they introduced him to another accused, Prathamesh Lad, in Pantnagar, Ghatkopar. Lad claimed to hold a senior position in the Railways and said that Rs12 lakh would be required to pay senior officials to finalize the job offer. He also warned Ghadi not to disclose the deal to anyone, threatening that the job offer would be withdrawn.

Trusting the trio, Ghadi transferred Rs10 lakh in two installments (on October 6 and 13, 2022) from his ICICI account to Vikrant Rane’s Axis Bank account. On December 31, 2022, Vikrant and Lad met him at the DRM office at CSMT and asked him to resign from his current job, which he did on January 17, 2023.

On February 22, 2023, Ghadi handed over the remaining Rs2 lakh in cash to Ashwini Rane. The accused later moved out of their Bhandup residence and shifted to Ghatkopar. Several months later, on August 28, Vikrant and Lad called Ghadi to an office in Sion, where they helped him fill out medical forms.

On September 22, 2023, Lad sent Ghadi an email containing what appeared to be an official letter from the Ministry of Railways, Government of India. The letter listed Ghadi’s name at number 197 out of 202 recipients, convincing him of its authenticity. Following this, Rane instructed him to visit the Kalyan Railway Hospital for a medical examination but later said it was not necessary as “everything had been managed.”

In January 2024, Rane sent Ghadi documents such as an ID card, a temporary duty pass, and an attendance sheet, claiming they were part of the recruitment process. He was also asked to complete courses on the “I Got Karmayogi” app and share the certificates via WhatsApp.

Despite repeated assurances, Ghadi never received a job offer. The accused eventually stopped answering his calls, confirming his suspicion that he had been cheated. He filed a complaint at Bhandup Police Station.

The police have booked Vikrant Rane, Ashwini Rane, and Prathamesh Lad under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for cheating and forgery. An investigation is currently underway.