Original app shut for a day: How PMPML caught techie behind fake app for digital bus tickets, passes

Suspecting a rise in fake digital bus tickets, Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) officials nabbed a software professional, who allegedly created a “fake mobile phone user interface”, resembling the original PMPML app. An assistant depot manager of PMPML lodged the FIR at Bharati Vidyapeeth police station on Thursday. Police said the accused is a […]

4 min readPuneFeb 28, 2026 10:06 AM IST

An assistant depot manager of PMPML lodged the FIR at Bharati Vidyapeeth police station on Thursday. (Source: Facebook)

Suspecting a rise in fake digital bus tickets, Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) officials nabbed a software professional, who allegedly created a “fake mobile phone user interface”, resembling the original PMPML app.

An assistant depot manager of PMPML lodged the FIR at Bharati Vidyapeeth police station on Thursday. Police said the accused is a 24-year-old software professional working with a private company and lives in Balaji Nagar, Pune.

“Apli PMPML” is the official PMPML app used for buying digital tickets, bus pass and live tracking on buses in Pune.

Last week, a youngster travelling on a PMPML bus was held with a fake digital bus ticket. During inquiry, the technical team of PMPML found that the youngster got the fake ticket using an app he had downloaded from “Discord”, an online platform.

This was alarming. So PMPML planned an operation to trace more people travelling on fake digital tickets. Officials said as part of the operation, the original app of PMPML was purposefully kept closed or non-functional on Thursday and random checks were conducted on PMPML buses across the city.

Around 10.15 am, a PMPML ticket checker, Mitthu Bade, found a passenger with a suspicious digital pass at the Bharati Vidyapeeth BRT bus stop on the Pune-Satara road. The passenger had taken a bus from Katraj to Balajinagar route. Bade contacted the PMPML authorities for verification of his bus pass.

“As the original app of PMPML was closed, no digital bus pass was issued on Thursday. So the passenger was held for inquiry. His bus pass was fake. The inquiry revealed that he had allegedly created a fake mobile phone user interface, through which the fake PMPML bus pass was generated,” said Niranjan Tulpule, a senior PMPML officer.

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Samrat Thorve, PMPML’s technical expert, said, “The passenger initially deleted the fraudulent files from his cellphone. But, during the inquiry, he admitted he was a software engineer and how he created the fake digital PMPML bus pass…”

PMPML authorities handed over the man to the Bharati Vidyapeeth police station. According to the police, the accused allegedly created a fake mobile application, which resembled the original PMPML app.

Police said the accused allegedly used the fake app for creating a bogus digital daily bus pass worth Rs 70. He then travelled free of cost, posing as an authorised bus pass holder, causing financial losses to the PMPML, police said.

As per a press release issued on Friday, the police have booked the man under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 318(4) (cheating) and Section 66 (d) of the Information Technology Act.

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Senior police inspector Rahul Khilare of Bharati Vidyapeeth police station said, “The accused has not been arrested. He works with a private company. We have seized his digital devices like mobile phone and laptop to investigate how the fake application of PMPML was created. A notice has been issued to the accused as per the law for probing the case further.”

When contacted, Alice Pore, Joint Managing Director, PMPML, said that essential steps would be taken against the fraudulent mobile apps and fake digital bus tickets.

Even last year in February, PMPML had issued an advisory warning people against fraudulent version of the “Apli PMPML” mobile application. PMPML had then filed a complaint with the cyber cell of Pune city police after finding advertisement of the fake PMPML app on various social media platforms, claiming that passengers can obtain free digital bus tickets and travel passes by downloading the fraudulent application on mobile phones.

Chandan Haygunde

Chandan Haygunde is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With over 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region's most authoritative voices on crime, national security, and legal affairs. Professional Profile Specialization: He specialises covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He is at the helm of the widely read weekly series “Pune Crime Files”. He is widely recognized for his deep-dive coverage of the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation. Key Beats: His portfolio includes covering crimes mainly under the jurisdiction of Pune City, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad Police, along with the sensitive cases from the state, being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Background: Before his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique grassroots understanding of Maharashtra's socio-political landscape. Awards and Recognition: He got the CMS PANOS Young Environment Journalist Award in January 2014 for investigative reports on illegal activities in Sahyadri Tiger Rerserve. He received the award for outstanding investigative journalism by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth a ‘Maoist Commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) In recent months, Chandan’s reporting has focused on high-profile terror case investigations, inter-state firearms racket, leopard movements in Pune city, cyber scams and hearings of the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry. 1. High-Profile crimes and terrorism cases “Techie linked to Al-Qaeda preached democracy is against Shariat” (Nov 17, 2025). Reporting on the ongoing investigation into the arrest of IT professional Zubair Hangargekar (37) from Pune for alleged terror links. “The case against Jyoti Jagtap, member of ‘Maoist front’ Kabir Kala Manch and Elgaar Parishad organiser, granted interim bail by apex court” (Nov 20, 2025) Tracking the updates in the high profile Elgaar Parishad case related to the alleged naxal activities in urban areas. “How NIA arrested doctor turned ‘ISIS recruiter’ in Maharashtra terror module case” (Nov 24, 2025) After the arrest of doctors in Delhi Red Fort blast, a report on alleged terror links of a consulting anaesthetist from a Pune hospital. “A year after loco pilot averts tragedy by spotting gas cylinder on railway track, probe still inconclusive” (Dec 8, 2025). Report on the unsolved case of a suspected sabotage incident, which could have derailed a train. “No records of Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation available: Author, ex-IAS officer Vishwas Patil tells Koregaon Bhima panel” (Dec 1, 2025) Reporting on a sensitive issue related to the Koregaon Bhima violence. 2. Inter-state firearms racket "Pune police swoop down on ‘village of pistols’ in Madhya Pradesh; 36 detained, 50 kilns destroyed" (Nov 22, 2025) "Recce a week before, microplanning: how Pune police raided ‘village of pistols’ in MP" (Nov 24, 2025) Reporting on the illegal gun manufacturing units in Umarti village, Madhya Pradesh 3. Cybercrime & Financial Scams “Pimpri Chinchwad police arrest ‘bank account supplier’ with links to China, nationwide cyber scams" (Nov 27, 2025) An investigative look at the modus opernadi of international cyber-gangs cheating high-earning professionals across the country ‘Your case linked to Pahalgam terrorist’: Pune businessman loses Rs 1.44 crore to fraudster posing as NIA chief" (Oct 18, 2025) Report on the tricks played on cyber scammers cheating people through digital arrest frauds Signature Style: The Investigative Hit Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate deep-cover sources within the police and intelligence agencies. His writing often goes beyond the "police version" of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic lapses. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent tracking of the Maoist urban-link cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers. X (Twitter): @chandan_pune ... Read More

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