Team Goemkarponn
Canacona: A case of financial fraud has come to light after an accused allegedly impersonated a public servant of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to cheat a complainant of Rs. 5,03,000 in Canacona.
The Crime Branch registered the case on 22 January 2026 following a written complaint by Chetan Vijay Komarpant, resident of Omkar Building, Chaudi, Canacona. The complainant alleged that between 28 May 2025 and 10 July 2025, the accused—identified as Surai Vivek Pendse and/or Siddharth of Assagao, Bardez—misrepresented themselves as GSPCB officials and falsely claimed that certain environmental work had been completed.
To induce the complainant to pay, the accused prepared forged consent letters and GSPCB receipts, which were used to secure digital transfers totaling Rs. 5,03,000.
During the investigation, the Crime Branch traced Pendse to Warje, Pune, Maharashtra, and with assistance from local police, arrested him on 25 January 2026 at 9:29 p.m. Two mobile phones—one Motorola and one Apple—suspected to have been used for creating and sending the forged GSPCB documents, were attached under panchanama.
The accused was produced before JMFC Canacona and remanded to three days’ police custody, up to 28 January 2026. The investigation revealed that he is allegedly involved in similar offences across Goa.
The case, registered under Crime Branch PS Video Cr. No. 03/2026, sections 204, 338, 336(3), 340(2), 319(2), 318(4) BNS, highlights the serious misuse of GSPCB’s name and authority in fraudulent schemes, raising concerns about the protection of public trust in regulatory institutions.
