Mumbai: Nearly a month after the city crime branch arrested a Navi Mumbai resident who allegedly impersonated an IAS officer attached to the office of Union home minister Amit Shah and attempted to influence a police officer during the execution of an arrest warrant against a female doctor in a cheque-bounce case, they booked the medical practitioner.“We have served a notice to Dr Asmita Sarang, who lives in Grant Road, under the provisions of BNSS, when an arrest is not required for offences punishable with less than seven years,” said a senior police officer.Police are also probing if the arrested accused, Mohammed Munir Pathan (42) from Vashi, had tried to influence two deputy police commissioners (DCPs) in the registration of an FIR in an unrelated case.“From his call detail reports, it was learnt that Pathan was in touch with two DCPs and an FIR of cheating has also been registered in an unrelated case. It is not clear whether Pathan impersonated Shah’s PS and influenced one of the DCPs to register a separate FIR or the FIR was registered in a natural course,” said the senior officer.Crime branch officers also found a company registered in the names of Pathan and Dr Sarang, which is being probed.In March, Hanumantu Raju, attached to Connaught Place police station in Delhi, had come to Mumbai to execute a bailable warrant issued against Dr Sarang in a cheque dishonour case. Shortly after Raju contacted the doctor, he allegedly received a threat call from the impersonator. During the probe, it transpired that Pathan had allegedly posed as “IAS officer Pawan Kumar Yadav, PS to Amit Shah” and called the Delhi police constable, pressuring him not to take action against Dr Sarang. Police found that Pathan had allegedly procured the SIM card using an acquaintance’s identity to whom he paid Rs 3,000.Following a complaint, the case was transferred to the crime intelligence unit of the Mumbai Crime Branch. Pathan was traced and arrested under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita for cheating and impersonation as well as under the Information Technology Act.
