Fake Income Tax Commissioner Arrested by Crime Branch.

Nalasopara: The police officials of Crime Branch Unit 3 attached to Mira Bhayandar Police Commissionerate has apprehended a 33-year-old man, Rinku Jitu Sharma, from Taloja, Navi Mumbai, for duping over 40 unemployed youths to the tune of ₹2 crore under the pretext of providing jobs as Assistant Commissioners and Income Tax Inspectors in the Income Tax Department. The accused allegedly perpetrated the scam by impersonating as Income Tax Commissioner.

A First Information Report (FIR) was lodged at Pelhar Police Station by the father of a victim who allegedly fell prey to a job placement scam. The accused is said to have deceived the victim into parting with ₹15 lakhs by promising a job at the Income Tax Department. To lend credibility to his false claims, the accused provided the victim with a fake Identity Card and an appointment letter purportedly issued by the Income Tax Department. However, after receiving the money, the accused failed to deliver on his promise of employment.

A parallel investigation into the alleged scam was spearheaded by the Crime Branch Unit 3, under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Avinash Ambure and Police Inspector Pramod Badakh, along with their team. Following a meticulous probe, the police successfully tracked down the accused and apprehended him near his residence in Taloja on January 7, 2025.

During the investigation, police found 28 different fake identity cards in Sharma's possession, including those of Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax Department, Income Tax Inspector, Assistant Commissioner of Home Department, and Police Commissioner of CBI Department.

The victims alleged that Sharma used an Amber lighted vehicle with the logo of the Income Tax Department to meet victims. However, the vehicle is yet to be traced by the police.

Notably, no past criminal record has been found against Sharma. The court has granted five days' police custody, and further investigation is expected to reveal more information in the coming days.