Fictitious jobs, real cash: How a Class 12 dropout cheated aspirants with fake letters in Pune

The Pimpri-Chinchwad police crime branch has arrested Pratik Rajesh Dhainje, 26, a Class 12 dropout and repeat fraud offender, for allegedly issuing forged appointment letters to job seekers. Dhainje allegedly cheated people out of Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 each by promising permanent positions in the PCMC water supply department. The police have traced at least six victims defrauded of over Rs 1.5 lakh, with more victims stepping forward.

Forged letters

Dhainje, a resident of Bhosari and originally from Akkalkot in the Solapur district, previously worked on civic projects on a contract basis. The police said his method relied on leveraging official government credentials to build credibility.

They said the forged letters carried the official PCMC water supply department heading, referenced an “office order/appointment” dated September 2, and cited rules governing municipal employees to simulate authenticity.

Candidates were directed to report for permanent duty on September 5, between 11 am and 6 pm. Dhainje allegedly collected money from candidates by claiming direct access to top PCMC officials.

“The appointment letters were designed to closely resemble official PCMC correspondence. We have recovered three such letters till now,” said a crime branch officer.

Rohidas Pawar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime), said, “Acting on confidential information, a team traced him and took him into custody… We are investigating whether Dhainje approached more job seekers using the same method and whether others assisted him in preparing or circulating the forged documents.”

History of fraud

This is not Dhainje’s first arrest for similar frauds. In January 2025, the police registered a case against him at the Bhosari police station for allegedly defrauding people of Rs 22.4 lakh by promising low-cost houses under a fake Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) scheme.

In the MHADA scam, when the promised housing failed to materialise, Dhainje allegedly created a WhatsApp group titled ‘MHADHA update group’ to send continuous assurances and revised possession dates to victims.