Hello, Sharad Pawar speaking...: Man uses spoof app to call Mantralaya; 3 held from Pune

Mumbai, Aug 13: A man has been arrested along with another person for allegedly calling Mantralaya, the headquarters of the Maharashtra government here, and speaking to an official while posing as NCP chief Sharad Pawar, police said on Thursday.

The accused called a revenue department official about transfers while mimicking Pawar's voice, police said.

He used a spoof-call' app which facilitates voice change, said a police official.

The number from which the call came was identified on the revenue department official's mobile phone as that of the NCP chief's residence here, he said.

The official suspected that something was not right about the voice and called back at Pawar's bungalow. He was told that Pawar was in Delhi, the police official said.

After he alerted the authorities, a case was registered under IPC section 419 (cheating by personation) at Gamdevi Police Station on Wednesday night.

The Anti Extortion Cell of the Mumbai crime branch also initiated parallel investigation and apprehended three persons from Pune. The main accused and his associate were subsequently arrested.

Both the accused -- names not disclosed -- were produced before a court which sent them in police custody till August 20, the official said.

The NCP is part of the ruling coalition in Maharashtra.

Similar calls had been made regarding land transactions from Chakan area of Pune district on August 9 and an FIR was registered at the local police station, the official said, adding that probe was on in that case too.