Mumbai: Vanrai police arrested a 29-year-old college dropout, Swaraj Ghosalkar, for allegedly impersonating a Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) field officer, Sachin Mahadik, raiding a small-scale furnace manufacturing unit in Goregaon and extorting Rs 10,000 by threatening cancellation of its licence on August 25. A trap was laid when Ghosalkar returned to collect Rs 12,000 as a monthly ransom that he reportedly demanded from Shailesh Powale (52), owner of Laxmi Metallurgical & Marine Engineers in Goregaon (East), on August 26, which he asked Powale to pay for the next three years so that his licence would not get cancelled. Police have recovered Rs 10,000 that he extorted from Powale, who is running the industry following all compliance requirements.Ghosalkar, inspired by Akshay Kumar and Anupam Kher’s film Special 26, used fake MPCB or Food Safety and Standards Authority of India identity cards. He reportedly said the recent hotel raids by FDA commissioner Tukaram Munde made his threats more effective. “The team is gathering details about Ghosalkar, who hails from Panvel and is suspected to be involved in cheating many people after the FDA commissioner’s recent raids have created fear among small-scale industrial owners with a similar modus operandi. We have seized fake ID cards of MPCB and FSSAI from Ghosalkar. He is in custody till August 30,” said Vanrai police senior inspector Abdul Rauf Shaikh.The incident occurred on August 25 at 12.53 pm when Ghosalkar arrived at Powale’s company at Kothari Industrial Estate impersonating an MPCB field officer. In the complaint, Powale said: “Ghosalkar, introduced as Sachin Mahadik, gave his visiting card. When I asked another officer, Vikram Mane, to visit, he replied that he is assigned from now on. He also threatened to file a false pollution report and demanded money. I asked my company’s accountant, Vijay Mandavkar, to pay Rs10,000. After Ghosalkar left, I called BMC consultant Kailas Mane and inquired if there was any officer named Sachin Mahadik in MPCB and also verified with Field Officer Mane at MPCB headquarters and found out the fraud.”Later, at 9.12 pm, Ghosalkar received a WhatsApp call from Mahadik (Ghosalkar) demanding another Rs 25,000 for his bosses. Vanrai police were informed, laid a trap, and called Ghosalkar to visit the company on August 26, when he demanded Rs 12,000 be paid through GPay every month for a clearance certificate for the next three years. “Powale asked Ghosalkar to visit personally to collect cash and got him arrested,” said the police.
