Former Police Constable Accused of Loan Fraud and Assault on Fellow Officers in Thane
Thane, 7th March 2024: A 54-year-old former police constable, Sanjay Vishwanath Hatekar, residing in Badlapur, has been accused of fabricating salary slips to secure a loan from the Mumbai Police Cooperative Credit Society. The matter came to light when two police officers, who had acted as guarantors for his loan, were forced to settle the outstanding amount of ₹18.33 lakh due to Hatekar’s loan default.
Following this, Hatekar allegedly assaulted the two police officers when they visited his residence to request repayment. Subsequently, the two constables utilized the Right to Information (RTI) Act to acquire all relevant documents, uncovering the alleged fraudulent activities.
The complaint was filed by female constable Rekha Kumbhar, associated with the local arms division, who had previously worked with Hatekar and another officer named Avinash Ghaste in the local arms department.
In 2018, Hatekar obtained a loan of ₹16 lakh from the Brihanmumbai Police Co-Operative Housing Society. However, from December 28, 2018, to June 11, 2021, Hatekar was suspended due to consistent absenteeism. He was reinstated on June 12, 2021, and subsequently approached Kumbhar and Ghaste to act as guarantors for a ₹1.10 lakh loan, citing financial difficulties arising from his suspension.
Upon discovering that Hatekar had applied for a loan of ₹17.10 lakh, Kumbhar and Ghaste initially refused but eventually agreed under the impression that Hatekar would repay the loan promptly.
In 2022, when Kumbhar sought a loan from the credit society, she was denied due to her association as a guarantor for Hatekar’s loan. Attempts to recover the money from Hatekar led to an assault, resulting in the filing of a case at the Badlapur police station in April 2023.
Subsequent investigations, including an RTI inquiry, revealed that Hatekar had submitted a forged salary slip in June 2021, indicating an income of ₹49,140 while being suspended until June 11, 2021. Charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including cheating, forgery, and using forged documents, have been filed against Hatekar.
