Team Goemkarponn
Calangute: Calangute Police arrested a notorious fraudster for allegedly impersonating an official of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) and cheating business owners operating restaurants and cafés in the Calangute area.
The accused has been identified as Suraj Pendse. According to police, Pendse approached the complainant by posing as a GSPCB official and claimed to have detailed information about existing pollution control licences, including their capacity and expiry dates.
He further falsely represented that the Collector’s office had directed him to conduct checks on the complainant’s licences.
By misrepresentation and false assurances, the accused allegedly induced the complainant to make payments, cheating him of a total amount of ₹9,59,500.
During the course of investigation, police revealed that Suraj Pendse is involved in similar offences across the State of Goa, with multiple cases already registered against him.
The accused has been arrested and produced before the Hon’ble JMFC Court, Mapusa, which remanded him to seven days of police custody.
The investigation is being carried out by PSI Prajit Mandrekar of Calangute Police Station and is currently in progress. The probe is under the supervision of PI Paresh Naik, SDPO Porvorim Vishwesh Karpe, and SP North Goa Harishchandra Madkaikar.
