Nagpur : In a sensational revelation, the Wathoda police have exposed a massive ₹3 crore fraud involving fake property documents and forged IDs. Five people have been arrested for duping banks and individuals using counterfeit papers allegedly created with the help of AI technology.
The Modus Operandi
The scam came to light after Pune resident Neeraj Soitkar listed his Nagpur flat for sale on OLX. The accused contacted him, obtained a copy of the original registry, and fabricated a forged version by replacing his photo with that of Ajay Pathrabe, who was then presented as the flat’s owner.
The gang went further, producing fake Aadhaar and PAN cards to open bank accounts. Loans were secured from multiple banks using these fraudulent documents. The sanctioned funds were siphoned into other accounts and shared among the group. Shockingly, the accused also created a fake disability certificate to strengthen their deception.
Gold Rate
18 Aug 2025
Those Arrested
- Nilesh Polikar (31) – New Diamond Nagari
- Sandeep Nimbhorkar (36) – Vinayak Nagar
- Ishan Watkar (37) – PM Awas Yojna, Wathoda
- Imran Hashmi (46) – Aryanagar, Jaripatka
- Ajay Pathrabe (41) – Resham Oli, Tahsil
All five were arrested between August 19 and 25 and are currently in police custody.
A Bigger Racket Unfolds
Investigators say this is just the tip of the iceberg. At least 20 more individuals are suspected to be part of the racket. Five FIRs have already been registered at Wathoda, Beltarodi, Sadar, Pachpaoli, and Sakkardara police stations. Police are now probing how many banks were duped and how long the scam has been running.
The investigation team was led by PI Harishkumar Borade, PSI Amol Patil, Pranali Benke, Kailas Shravankar, Himanshu Patil, and Rohit Matale, under the supervision of DCP Rashmita Rao.
.. Radhika Gupta
