Posing as energy min’s nephew, man dupes 11

MUMBAI: As many as 11 people have lodged a complaint against a man who posed as the nephew of Maharashtra energy minister Nitin Raut and allegedly cheated several job aspirants by taking money from them by promising jobs in Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd. (MSEDCL).

Police said the accused, who possessed a white Toyota Innova, has similarly cheated several people in Mumbai, Thane and Mira Bhayandar.

Dadar police has registered a case based on a complaint lodged by Mahesh Kajawe, 52, a Worli Koliwada resident and 10 others relevant sections of the IPC. According to the complaint, Kajawe was introduced to one Sandeep Raut by his cousin sister Anagha Sawant.

Raut had told Sawant that he was the nephew of Congress leader Nitin Raut and that he had recruited several people in MSEDCL in lieu of money.

“I was trapped. He used to visit us in a white Toyota Innova and flash high-end mobile phones. I paid him ₹1.5 lakh in October last year as he promised to secure employment for my daughter and son in MSEDCL on clerical posts,” said Kajawe. Apart from Kajawe, his 10 relatives from Ratnagiri, Dahanu and Mumbai also paid Raut another ₹8 lakh to get their family members employed in MSEDCL after Kajawe recommended Raut’s name to them.

In February, Kajawe received two appointment letters from MSEDCL -- for his son and daughter -- via speed post. The appointment letter instructed the siblings to report to work by March 10. Later, Raut asked them to wait for some time and gave them new appointment letters extending the joining date. Finally, on March 30, Kajawe, along with his son and daughter, went to MSEDCL’S head office in Bandra East, where they were told that the documents were fake. “We are searching for the accused. A case is also registered against him at Shivaji Park police station. They don’t have his address only his mobile number. Efforts are on to trace him,” said Mahesh Mugutrao, senior police inspector, Dadar.