In Pune, PMC peon allegedly runs job racket, dupes engineers of lakhs, arrested

One complainant says he was given an appointment letter, joining letter, transfer order and even two months' salary; activist says 300-400 people were cheated with the promise of civic jobs.

4 min readPuneUpdated: Jul 19, 2026 09:46 AM IST

PMC Pune municipal corporation peon job racket

Shivanand Patil, a peon in the PMC’s education department, has been suspended, pending a departmental inquiry. (Image generated using AI)

A peon working in the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) education department allegedly ran a fake job racket by promising civic jobs using forged appointment letters and fake signatures of officials, the civic body and police said.

The Shivajinagar police arrested the peon, identified as Shivanand Patil, after the PMC administration lodged an FIR on Friday. Police are searching for three other alleged accomplices in the case.

“We have arrested the peon and are searching for three others allegedly involved in the racket. We have registered an FIR and are investigating whether more people were cheated,” said Police Inspector Girish Dighavakar of Shivajinagar police station.

The alleged fraud came to light after a complainant approached PMC Additional Municipal Commissioner Prajit Nair with evidence of payments made to Patil and his associates, along with fake appointment letters carrying forged stamps and signatures of civic officials.

Nair said the complainant was initially hesitant to approach the police. “The complainant was reluctant to file a complaint due to personal reasons. However, we filed an FIR after examining the evidence submitted by him,” he said.

According to Nair, the PMC has so far found three cases in which candidates were allegedly promised posts of junior engineers. One complainant was allegedly cheated of ₹45 lakh, while two others lost ₹15 lakh and ₹10 lakh respectively.

“We believe there could be more people who were duped in a similar manner. We hope they will come forward,” Nair said.

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The PMC official said that when the first complainant threatened to approach the police, Patil allegedly issued cheques towards repayment of the ₹45 lakh taken from him. However, the first cheque bounced, following which the complainant approached the civic administration.

In its complaint, the PMC alleged that Patil, along with other private individuals, cheated the complainant between May 24, 2022, and May 23, 2025, on the pretext of securing him a junior engineer’s job.

The PMC has suspended Patil pending a departmental inquiry.

Nair said similar complaints had surfaced in the past but police cases were not filed as accused persons allegedly attempted to settle matters by promising to return the money.

The complainant told The Indian Express that he came in contact with Patil in 2022 when he was facing financial difficulties in his business. “Patil introduced me to two other people and promised me a civic job as a junior engineer. They asked me to pay Rs 45 lakh. I borrowed the money from my father,” he said.

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The complainant alleged that Patil later provided him appointment and joining letters and that he received Rs 1.28 lakh as salary for two months, which he was told was part of a training period. However, he became suspicious after receiving a transfer order with an incorrect outward number.

“He then told me he would arrange a meeting with civic officials. A person claiming to be an officer met me outside the PMC and said things would be resolved after the civic budget. That increased my suspicion,” the complainant said.

AAP vice-president and activist Vijay Kumbhar said several people claiming to have been cheated in similar cases had approached him. He said he had written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking intervention.

“Apart from the peon, three other individuals allegedly lured around 300 to 400 youths with promises of jobs in the PCMC and swindled between ₹30 lakh and ₹45 lakh from each of them,” added Kumbhar.

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PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said the civic body acted after receiving the complaint and lodged an FIR after conducting a preliminary inquiry. “Further investigation is being carried out to find out whether more citizens have been cheated,” he said.

Manoj Dattatrye More

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

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