A couple from Jalgaon, Maharashtra, has been booked for defrauding 18 people of over ₹55 lakh by impersonating the personal assistant of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Hitesh Ramesh Sanghvi and his wife Arpita Sanghvi, residents of Pachora, allegedly used fake documents to promise government jobs, tenders, and MHADA flats, exploiting victims’ trust in political connections.

The scam unraveled after dairy businessman Harshal Bari filed a complaint on August 7, 2025, at Shanipeth police station. Bari, lured by Sanghvi’s claim of being Shinde’s PA with an office in Mumbai’s Mantralaya, paid ₹10 lakh for a MHADA flat and ₹7 lakh for a railway job for his wife, totaling ₹13.38 lakh between November 2024 and August 8, 2025. Sanghvi bolstered his deception with forged letterheads, appointment letters, and identity documents, convincing victims of his influence.

Police investigations revealed 17 other victims, including local youth and job seekers, who were similarly deceived with promises of railway contracts and government positions. The couple’s scheme, described as a “Bunty-Babli” con by local media, targeted aspirants desperate for secure employment in a region with high unemployment. Authorities suspect the couple operated from Navi Mumbai, leveraging Shinde’s prominence as a Shiv Sena leader.

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The case, registered under sections for cheating and forgery, has sparked outrage among Shiv Sena supporters, with some contacting party leaders to expose the fraud. Jalgaon’s Superintendent of Police ordered swift action, and the couple faces arrest as investigations continue to uncover the full extent of their network. Experts warn such scams exploit systemic issues like job scarcity and bureaucratic opacity, urging stricter oversight of political impersonation.

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