Contractor Arrested For Forging Devendra Fadnavis's Signature On Bureaucrats' Transfer Orders

Maharashtra cyber police have apprehended a 40-year-old man for allegedly issuing a fake transfer order of six government officers. The man allegedly forged the signature of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the letter. The accused, identified as Mohammed Iliyas Yaqub Momin, a contractor from Miraj in Sangli district, allegedly cheated government officials and other people financially by showing them the fake orders, he said. The official said the accused is well educated and it is suspected that he committed the crime for financial gains.

The accused created fake documents of the transfer of six government officers at the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL). The officers were assistant engineers and deputy executive engineers.

Momin had allegedly created a fake email ID of Vidyadhar Mahale, the private secretary of Deputy CM Fadnavis, and sent a letter of transfer to six officers on July 23, he said.

While sending the transfer letter from the email ID, the accused allegedly forged Fadnavis' signature on it, he said.

The mail was also sent to the CMD of MSEDCL, the official said. Fadnavis also holds charge of the state energy department.

During the investigation, the nodal cyber police station received specific information about the accused. With the help of Miraj police, they apprehended him from his native place and seized a mobile phone used in the crime.

The six officers, whose fake transfer orders were issued by the accused, are also likely to be questioned by the cyber police, he said.

Mahale approached the cyber police and based on his complaint, a case has been registered against the accused under relevant Indian Penal Code sections for cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy, the official said.