Overview
- The Anti-Extortion Cell, which arrested the men Saturday evening in a Worli sting, says they were caught taking ₹4 lakh from the complainant.
- Police identified the suspects as Tausif Hussain Ismail Patel, 44, and Siddhinath Dinanath Pandey, 43, both from Goregaon and linked to advertising firm Target Media.
- Investigators say the scheme began with a March 18 WhatsApp voice note offering a Prime Minister’s Office birthday greeting, followed by a forged letter on March 20, a digital copy and fake email on March 28, and a meeting in Worli on April 2 where payment was pressed.
- Officers recovered a framed fake letter bearing the Prime Minister’s name, toy currency bundles with two real ₹500 notes, and two phones; an FIR under cheating, forgery, conspiracy, extortion, and IT Act provisions was moved from Worli Police Station to the Anti-Extortion Cell.
- Police are examining who created the forged signature and letterhead, what software or tools were used, whether accomplices operate outside Maharashtra, and if similar scams have targeted others, a risk often faced by NGOs that fear reputational harm.