Nashik: A businessman in Maharashtra’s Nashik district was allegedly cheated of ₹35 lakh after being promised a ₹300 crore road construction contract linked to the upcoming Kumbh Mela. According to police, the accused allegedly gained the businessman’s confidence by showing him a forged work order carrying the Government of India emblem and the name of the Nashik Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority. The accused allegedly collected ₹50 lakh from the businessman on the promise of getting the tender approved, but neither did the contract process move forward nor was the entire amount returned. Police have registered a case based on the complaint and launched an investigation.
According to police, three accused approached the businessman and claimed that they had access to a ₹300 crore road construction contract related to the Kumbh Mela. They allegedly offered him an opportunity to participate in the project. To make the proposal appear genuine, the accused allegedly produced a work order bearing the Government of India emblem and the name of the Nashik Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority.
The businessman allegedly believed the document to be a genuine government work order and trusted the accused. They subsequently demanded ₹50 lakh in the name of obtaining tender approval and moving the process forward. The businessman allegedly paid the amount to the accused. Police are now examining the mode of payment, the bank accounts into which the money was transferred and how the funds were subsequently used or moved.
After making the payment, the businessman allegedly received no concrete information regarding the claimed ₹300 crore road construction contract. No further documents related to the project were provided to him, and the process for execution of the alleged contract did not begin. Suspecting that he had been deceived, the businessman demanded that the accused return his money.
According to police, the accused allegedly returned only ₹15 lakh instead of the full amount. This left ₹35 lakh outstanding. After the remaining amount was allegedly not returned, the businessman approached the police and filed a complaint. Based on the complaint, Nashik Road police registered a case against the accused on Sunday.
The case forms part of a wider investigation into an alleged fake work order racket. Officials said police have so far registered five separate cases linked to the alleged network and arrested six people. The cases have reportedly involved cheating victims of around ₹3.40 crore in total. Investigators are now examining whether the documents used in the different cases and the accused persons involved in them have a common connection.
The alleged forged government documents are expected to be a key part of the investigation. Police will verify who prepared the work order shown to the businessman, how the government emblem and the authority’s name were used and whether similar documents were prepared for other prospective victims. The authenticity of the documents may also be checked against records maintained by the concerned government departments and the Kumbh Mela authority.
Renowned cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said forged contract cases involving digital documents require investigators to preserve and examine the complete electronic trail. Digital copies of documents, emails, messaging application conversations and banking records can help establish how the alleged fraud was planned and executed. If forged documents were transmitted electronically, their source, creation and transmission history could provide important evidence regarding the accused’s role.
Police are examining communications between the businessman and the accused, payment records, the alleged work order and other documents connected with the proposed contract. Investigators are also trying to determine how many people may have been involved in the alleged network and whether other businessmen were approached with similar offers of government contracts.
The investigation is currently underway. Police are also examining whether the claimed ₹300 crore road project was entirely fabricated or whether the name of an actual project was allegedly misused to make the offer appear genuine. The allegations against the accused remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings and will be established only on the basis of evidence examined by the court.
