Pimpri-Chinchwad: The Cyber Police Station of Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate (PCPC) has arrested three men who were preparing to start a cyber fraud call centre in Navi Mumbai. The accused had earlier worked in similar scam operations in Bangkok and Myanmar. Police said the gang was planning to target people with fake investment schemes, officials announced on Saturday.

The accused have been identified as Sushil Bhagwan Juwatkar (42), Pankaj Raj Kapoor (38), and Nishchal Tankbir Bareilly (27), all currently based in Navi Mumbai. The operation was carried out by the cyber police under the guidance of senior officers, including Pimpri-Chinchwad Commissioner of Police Vinoy Kumar Choubey.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Dr Shivaji Pawar, the case came to light after a local businessman was cheated of Rs 2.09 crore. The fraudsters lured him with promises of high returns through IPOs and stock market investments. During the probe, police tracked a transaction of Rs 1.25 lakh to a bank account, which became a key lead in the case.

Further investigation led police to Sushil Juwatkar in Navi Mumbai. His associates, Pankaj Kapoor and Nishchal Bareilly, were also detained. Police found that Pankaj and Nishchal had experience working in cyber fraud call centres abroad. Acting on Juwatkar’s instructions, they were planning to set up a similar illegal operation locally.

During the raid, police seized several items used in cyber fraud activities. These included six mobile phones, three passports, two laptops, hard discs, POS machines, QR code scanners, debit cards, and multiple bank account kits and rubber stamps. Officials said these materials were intended to run a fake call centre and carry out financial fraud.

Police have also managed to freeze ₹62 lakh from the defrauded amount, providing partial relief to the victim. Efforts are ongoing to trace the remaining money and identify more links in the network.

Senior officers said the timely action helped prevent a large-scale cyber fraud operation from starting in the region. The investigation is still underway, and police are looking into possible connections with other cybercrime networks.

Mumbai: The Metro Line 9 rail service between Dahisar East and Mira Bhayandar will be inaugurated on April 6, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said on Friday. Talking to reporters, he said the inauguration of the service got delayed due to certain factors.

“We were waiting for the safety nod first, which we have received…Now the date is set for April 6 for the inauguration of the route,” Sarnaik said. Once this service starts, people in the region will be relieved as this was a long-pending demand, he said.

Meanwhile, A trial run for Phase 1 of Metro Line 9 was successfully conducted on April 2 between Kashigaon and Dahisar. The inauguration of the metro stretch, which was earlier scheduled for April 3, has now been postponed.

Earlier this month, MMRDA Chief Sanjay Mukherjee, alongside senior officials of MMRDA and Maha Mumbai Metro, conducted a site inspection and reviewed safety measures and overall operational readiness. The inspection focused on ensuring that all systems are prepared for public use.

Metro Line 9 Phase I spans 4.5 kilometres, connecting Dahisar East to Kashigaon, with stations at Pandurang Wadi and Miragaon. Though relatively short, the corridor is strategically important as it extends metro access deeper into the northern suburbs and integrates them with Mumbai’s wider transit network.

A key advantage of the project lies in its seamless connectivity. At Dahisar East, Metro Line 9 will connect with Metro Line 7, enabling direct travel from Mira Road and nearby areas to Gundavli in Andheri East without the need to change trains. Interchange access to Metro Line 2A will further improve connectivity towards Andheri West and other parts of the city, reducing reliance on road transport.

The Mira-Bhayandar region has witnessed rapid urban expansion in recent years but continues to depend heavily on road-based transport. The metro extension is expected to offer a faster, more reliable commuting option, easing pressure on arterial roads and improving travel efficiency.

Mumbai: A case has been registered at Chembur Police Station against a former municipal corporator for allegedly contesting elections using a fake caste certificate and defrauding the government and the public.

The complaint was filed by Chitra Anant Salunke (63), an advocate and resident of Chembur, who runs a legal firm along with her son. The accused has been identified as Ramesh Suresh Kamble, a former corporator from Ward No. 192 (Borla North–Deonar Abattoir).

According to the complaint, Kamble contested the 2002 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections from a seat reserved for Scheduled Castes by allegedly submitting a caste certificate claiming he belonged to the Hindu Mahar community. He won the election with 4,721 votes and served as corporator.

However, the runner-up candidate, Rajendra Vaman Waghmare, later raised objections and filed a complaint with the Divisional Caste Scrutiny Committee at Konkan Bhavan, Navi Mumbai. Following an inquiry, the committee, on November 11, 2005, concluded that Kamble was not from a Scheduled Caste but was a Christian by birth, based on documentary evidence including school records and a baptism certificate from a church in Matunga.

The committee declared his caste certificate, issued by the Sub-Divisional Officer, Mulund, in 1998, as invalid. Kamble challenged the decision in multiple courts, including the Small Causes Court, the Bombay High Court, and later the Supreme Court. However, all courts upheld the findings of the caste scrutiny committee.

Following the disqualification, Waghmare was declared elected and served as corporator for the remaining term. The complaint further alleges that Kamble knowingly used forged documents to obtain the caste certificate and subsequently contested and held public office from February 2002 to November 23, 2006, thereby gaining undue benefits.

Based on the complaint, police have registered a case against Kamble under IPC Sections 193, 199, 406, 420, 465, 466, 467, 468, 469, 470, and 471 for forgery, cheating, and criminal breach of trust. Further investigation is underway.