The Satara police’s probe into the case of Kashmira Sandip Pawar, who is suspected of impersonating a national advisor for the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and scamming several individuals, has been seriously called into question by the Bombay High Court (HC). The Satara district’s Superintendent of Police was directed by the HC to appear in court on coming Thursday to give the progress on the investigation and to discuss if the matter before them should be transferred to either the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) or Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). This judgment was made on July 3rd when a petition was being heard by a bench presided over by Justice Revati Mohite Dere & Justice Shyam C Chandak
In December 2022, Satara resident Phillip Bhambal filed a complaint against Kashmira Pawar and her friend, Ganesh Gaikwad. He alleged that they were deceiving the general public through false claims that Kashmira was a national advisor to the PMO. Consequently, police officer Rahul Ghadge did a full-scale investigation leading him to register a First Information Report (FIR) on January 4, 2023, hereby accusing a person described as an “unidentified individual” for committing the offence of impersonation of public servant as stated under Section 170 within Indian Penal Code (IPC).
On January 10, 2023, Kashmira surprisingly lodged an FIR in which she accused Bhambal (along with two others) of extortion. According to her the suspects had extorted Rs 50 lakh from her but ended up taking Rs. 50,000 forcefully after a financial misappropriation. Later on, Bhambal, suspicious of the police’s actions, approached the Bombay HC, seeking a transfer of the investigation to a higher authority.
Satara police also added Sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing handover of property), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for defrauding), and 471 (using a forged document as real) to the initial FIR. Despite these serious allegations Kashmira & Ganesh were arrested on 19th June 2024; however, they were released on bail the following day.
Complicating matters further, a separate FIR was filed against Kashmira and Ganesh in Pune on June 17, 2024, by businessman Gorakh Maral. Maral claimed the duo cheated him out of Rs 50 lakh by promising a government tender. He alleged that Kashmira presented a letter, purportedly signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appointing her as a national advisor to the PMO.
During the hearings, Bhambal’s lawyer, Sagar Tilak, informed the HC about the arrests and subsequent bail of the accused in the Pune case. The HC emphasized the need for thorough scrutiny and directed the Superintendent of Satara police to be present at the next hearing.
The case has garnered significant attention, with multiple complaints amounting to Rs 82 lakh against Kashmira and Ganesh. Bhambal had also lodged an FIR against the duo in September 2020 for theft, mischief, and trespassing over a hotel rent dispute. Despite these allegations, Kashmira and Ganesh received anticipatory bail in the Bundgarden police station case, with the court noting the possibility of Maral’s FIR being retaliatory against the extortion claims.
The HC’s directive for the Satara SP’s appearance underscores the gravity of the situation and the need for a transparent investigation. As the next hearing approaches, all eyes are on the developments in this complex case involving fraud, forgery, and extortion allegations.
