Mumbai, March 22: In an incident which seems inspired from a Bollywood no-brainer, a Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator named Manohar Dumbre from Mumbai's Thane area was on the verge of getting duped on the promise that he would be made an MLC- Member of Legislative Council by a woman named Anud Shirgavkar and her accomplice Abdul Fayaz Ansari, also a mimicry artist. Reportedly, the 24-year-old  Abdul Fayaz Ansari mimicked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on phone and promised Thane corporator a seat in Maharashtra Legislative Council for a total sum of Rs 10 crore.

The police have arrested all the three accused named Anud Sajjad Shirgaonkar, Anilkumar Shankarlal Bhanushali and Abdulla Fayyaz Ansari. According to reports, Anud Sajjad, a 29-year-old woman first met corporator Manohar Dumbre through the latter's driver and Anud claimed to Dumbre that she worked for Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Anud and Bhanushali also told Dumbre that they could 'arrange' for an MLC seat for the corporator if he agreed to pay the sum of Rs. 10 crore.

Further, Anud and Bhanshali got Abdulla Ansari, a garage worker also good at imitating the voices of several personalities to mimic Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and corporator Dumbre was told by Ansari in CM Fadnavis's voice to follow what Anud said and do accordingly. But corporator Dumbre sensed something was amiss and informed Thane police about the same. A trap was laid to catch the three accused. As the talks progressed, the three asked Dumbre to meet them at a hotel on Ghodbunder Road with Rs 25 lakhs. Corporator Dumbre went with the money to the hotel where Anud and Bhanushali were waiting. They were caught by the police as soon as they accepted the amount. Later, Ansari was also arrested the same day.

A case has been registered at the Kasarvadavali police station under the Indian Penal Code. Reports claim that police have also recovered fake national investigation agency (NIA) cards and some other fake cards from Anud and Bhanushali. Mukund Hatote, assistant commissioner of police, crime told news agencies that the police is still probing the case to determine if the three have also duped or defrauded some others through false claims and tall promises.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 23, 2018 12:39 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).