Inspired by the popular web series ‘Farzi’ starring Shahid Kapoor, a Mumbai graphic designer devised a scheme to counterfeit and distribute 1,000 passes for a renowned dandiya event in Borivali. He aimed to pocket approximately Rs 30 lakh in illicit gains before being apprehended by Mumbai police, along with three co-conspirators.
Authorities are actively pursuing two additional suspects while also confiscating the fraudulent passes and related equipment used in the operation. Karan Shah, 29, along with associates Darshan Gohil, 24, Paresh Nevrekar, 35, and Kavish Patil, 24, were apprehended by MHB Colony police. Shah had manufactured these fake passes for the Durgadevi Navratra Utsav Samiti event, a legitimate entry for which cost between Rs 3,000 and Rs 3,800. However, Shah and his cohorts sold their counterfeit passes for approximately Rs 2,600 each. “In his confession, Shah acknowledged that he drew inspiration from Shahid Kapoor’s ‘Farzi’ series for this scheme to generate quick money,” stated a police officer. The show’s protagonist is an artist skilled in crafting counterfeit currency.
Discovery of the fraudulent scheme
The authentic passes for the event were officially sold from the organizer’s authorized stall located at Kutchi Ground on New Link Road in Borivali (West). A group of four to five young individuals approached the stall on Saturday, claiming they had acquired passes for the event and desired to verify their authenticity. Event representatives inspected the passes, confirming them as fake. Furthermore, they observed that the serial numbers on the counterfeit passes were not yet released for sale, according to the FIR. The individuals admitted to purchasing these passes from Darshan Gohil.
FIR filed against the ringleader and accomplices
Following the incident, the event’s organizer contacted the MHB Colony police station on Saturday and registered a formal complaint involving fraud and forgery. Recognizing the potential scale of the deception and aiming to prevent any further incidents, Senior Police Inspector Sudhir Kudalkar, under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner of Police Ajay Kumar Bansal, formed an investigative team. This team promptly apprehended four individuals, including the mastermind, Karan Shah. “Shah maintained a low profile and had concealed his name and address from many. Nevertheless, we were able to apprehend him,” said Kudalkar.
Planned illicit gains of Rs 30 lakh
A total of 1,000 fake passes were confiscated from the group, indicating an intention to accrue around Rs 30 lakh in profit. As the event date approached, they even raised the price of the counterfeit passes. Authorities also seized 1,000 holograms, printing equipment, laptops, and other assets, valued at approximately Rs 35.10 lakh. A manhunt is currently underway to capture two additional suspects involved in the scheme.
