OMKAR Mahendra Talmale (25), the prime accused in a double murder case of two businessmen in the city, was finally booked for orchestrating a fraudulent job scam and duping hundreds of jobless youths to the tune of Rs 5.31 crore. Talmale has been charged with a series of serious offences, including cheating, forgery, and embezzlement. The victim, Ashwin Pravin Wankhede (32), a resident of Jai Durga Society, Manish Nagar, filed a complaint against Talmale with the Economic Offences Wing (EoW ). According to police, both Wankhede and Talmale knew each other as they were part of the same ‘Dhol Tasha pathak’. Talmale, who posed as junior scientist at The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) allegedly took advantage of Wankhede’s trust and promised to secure a vacant position for him at the Regional Remote Sensing Centre inWadi, Nagpur. Trusting Talmale, he transferred a sum of Rs two lakh to Tamale's account online, as a payment for the opportunity. The fraudulent activities of Talmale didn’t stop at the initial transaction. Talmale further manipulated Wankhede by sending him fake appointment letters and emails, luring him into sending large amounts of money.

 

A total of 111 jobless youths were duped by Talmale by using the same modus-operandi, said police. In total, a staggering Rs 5.31 crore were collected byTalmale from jobless youths to a different bank account by the accused. Upon realising the fraud, Wankhede approached the EoW and filed a complaint. An offence under Sections 420, 406, 465, 468, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code was registered by Bajaj Nagar police. It may be mentioned here that Talmalewas allegedly running a wooden sculptures manufacturing unit known as “Woodpickers” in the MIDC area. His bogus job scheme has been operating for the past two years. Nirala Kumar (43), a resident of Prasad Apartment, HBTown, Pardi and Ambarish Devdutt Gole (40), a resident of Narkesari Layout, Jaiprakash Nagar were shot dead by the assailants led by Talmale on the night of July 25 at a farmhouse. Both victims succumbed to their injuries on the spot. In an attempt to destroy the evidence, the accused had set the bodies ablaze by pouring petrol. However, heavy rains extinguished the fire, thwarting their initial plan.

 

The murderers had wrapped the bodies in tarpaulin and kept them in Ambarish's car. They drove the car upto the Wardha river on Amravati Road, where they tossed the bodies in the river on July 26 at around 3 pm. By 4 am, the perpetrators returned to Nagpur, and burnt the bodies at a dilapidated building ‘White House’ in Dattawadi. Along with Talmale, the police have arrested expelled Bajrang Dal leader Vishal Pawankumar Punj (41), a resident of Plot No 15/04, Mohan Nagar Badkas Chowk, Kotwali; Harsh Anandilal Verma (22), a resident of Plot No. 39, Khadgaon Road, Sonba Nagar; Danesh Durgaprasad Shivpeth (21), a resident of Godhni Road, Old Mankapur; Lucky Snajay Turkel (22), a resident of Mariyam Nagar, Sitabuldi; Harsh Saudagar Bagde (19), a resident of Plot No. 37, Dattawadi, on murder charges.