Gardner works at BMC for 28 years on fake documents

The fraud came to light after BMC sought to verify the credentials of the fake employee

The Azad Maidan police have registered a case against a man who used photocopies of a BMC employee's documents to secure the job of a gardener in the corporation and worked there for 28 years. The fake Class IV employee collectively earned about Rs 43 lakh until he went into hiding in 2017, when the civic body sought to check the authenticity of the caste certificates and other papers submitted by the employee.

A source said BMC officials waited for about two-and-a-half years for the gardener to return so that he could be given a chance to present his version. Since that did not happen, they decided to file a police complaint. "Then the pandemic started and this matter got delayed. The complaint was finally filed on Thursday."

The police said there is a peon called Sopan Maruti Sable in the building supervisor department. While Sabale joined in 1989, another employee with the same name was appointed as gardener in 1993. The gardener's date of birth, father's name, address and other details are identical to that of the peon, they said.

The striking similarities in the credentials between the two employees went undetected until BMC officials sought to verify his documents and asked the staffer to submit original certificates. Learning about the exercise, the gardener stopped reporting to work from September 5, 2017.

Officials then sent a letter to the permanent address of the absent employee. But it reached the peon Sable's father at his native place. When Sable's father came with his son's caste certificate, officials were shocked to discover the fraud.

Sunil Jungle, a co-chief officer (worker) at BMC, then filed a complaint with the Azad Maidan police. In his statement to the police, Jungle said, "Sopan Maruti Sable [gardener] got a job in BMC on the pretext that the Sopan Maruti Sable [peon] employee's school leaving certificate is his own and in the meantime, he has earned a salary of Rs 43,31,010. In this way, Sopan Maruti Sable (gardener) has cheated BMC of Rs 43, 31,010. Therefore, I have a complaint on behalf of BMC to take action against him."

Senior Inspector Bhushan Belnekar of Azad Maidan police station said they have registered a case under Sections 419 (cheating by personation) and 420 (cheating) of IPC. "The complaint has been registered and the search is on for the accused," Belnekar told mid-day.

Rs 43L
Approx amount fake staffer earned till he disappeared