A man, Pratik Dey, was arrested by Valsad Cyber Crime Police for allegedly creating forged e-mail accounts and fake official letterheads of a BJP MP. This was done to send recommendation letters to the State Bank of India and secure confirmed railway tickets under a special quota. The arrest followed a complaint by the personal assistant to Valsad Lok Sabha MP, Dhaval Patel, who reported the impersonation of the MP through forged electronic records and documents.
The accused, originally from West Bengal and residing in Ahmedabad, was apprehended during an investigation into a cyber fraud case. The police registered the case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Information Technology Act, 2008, after the complaint was filed. The investigation, conducted under the guidance of Director General of Police G.S. Malik, revealed that the accused had allegedly prepared forged letterheads not only of MP Dhaval Patel but also of another MP and a police officer from West Bengal.
Further probing unveiled that the forged documents were utilized to obtain confirmed railway tickets through the Railway Special Quota and to send recommendation letters to the State Bank of India. The accused, Pratik, remains in custody as the investigation continues to ascertain the full scope of the alleged fraud and potential involvement of additional offenders or beneficiaries. During the operation, investigators seized a mobile phone allegedly used in the offense, along with multiple forged letterheads and letters bearing false signatures.
