Shivajinagar Police have arrested three individuals for operating a fraudulent LIC policy scam from a fake call center in Wakdewadi. The suspects lured unsuspecting victims with promises of high returns on fake LIC policies, using forged ID cards and company names to gain their trust.

The arrested suspects have been identified as Shankar Karkun Pokharkar (42) from Katraj, Mehfooz Mehboob Siddiqui (40) from Aundh, and Ashish Ramdas Mankar (48) from Wagholi. According to police, Pokharkar was the mastermind behind the operation. In 2021, posing as an LIC agent, he convinced a victim in Shivajinagar to invest ₹5,04,000, promising attractive returns. After the payment was made, the victim could no longer reach Pokharkar, leading them to file a police complaint in 2023.

A raid, conducted by Shivajinagar Cyber Crime officials Adesh Chalwaadi and Tejas Chopade, uncovered significant evidence. The police seized 150 SIM cards, 15 mobile phones, 29 data registers, 12 ATM cards, 5 PAN cards, 2 computers, and 35 fake rubber stamps from reputed companies. They also discovered bank accounts linked to 30 different banks, along with cheque books.

Investigations revealed that Pokharkar previously worked in the LIC sector and misused client data from his earlier job to carry out the scam. Police believe more victims may have been targeted and are continuing their investigation to uncover the full extent of the fraud.

Authorities urge citizens to be vigilant when approached with unsolicited investment offers and to verify the authenticity of agents before making financial commitments.