Nashik Man Defrauds Tamil Nadu Scientist Of ₹5 Crore With Fake Governor Post Promise; Arrested

Niranjan Suresh Kulkarni presented forged documents to scientist Narismha Reddy and promised to make the latter a governor using his ties with political leaders.

Nashik: A city resident was arrested for allegedly defrauding a Tamil Nadu scientist of ₹5 crore by falsely promising to secure a Governor's post through his political connections, police said.

The Central Crime Branch took Niranjan Suresh Kulkarni (40), a resident of Gandharvanagari, Nashik Road into custody for claiming strong ties with political leaders and demanding ₹15 crores as a 'service charge' from the complainant, Narismha Reddy (56).

Police said that Kulkarni had made the false promise to Reddy in a hotel here on January 12, earlier this year. "Kulkarni met Reddy at a pooja ceremony in a hotel in Nashik. During the meeting, the accused Kulkarni presented a few documents with the seal of the Govt of India to showcase his political influence and reach," police said.

Investigation also revealed that, over a span of 60 days, Reddy and his relatives paid ₹60 lakh in cash and transferred ₹4.49 crore to Kulkarni's bank account. Reddy went ahead and filed a complaint at the Mumbai Naka Police Station on December 7 only after facing death threats.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Prashant Bachhao and Assistant Commissioner of Police Sandeep Mitke instructed the Central Crime Branch to prioritise the case and nab the accused. Mumbai Naka Police, with the aid of technical analysis, tracked Kulkarni in Gandharvanagari following which he was arrested on Saturday night, (December 7) and presented in court on Sunday (December 8).

Kulkarni's Personal Life:

Despite being just a 12th-pass candidate, Kulkarni reportedly led an opulent life. To trick his victims, he created counterfeit documents bearing official seals and claimed ownership of 100 acres of land under government projects. No definite evidence was found during a search of his house in Gandharvanagari. Police said he is separated from his wife and lives alone.