Director of a coal company and owner of an advertising firm are both charged with fraud

Avinash Sharma, a resident of Goregaon, runs an advertising agency called “Digitally Yours,” which has an office in Malad (West), according to police officials. Vatsal Agarwal, a resident of Versova, is a director of Simplex Coke and Refractory Pvt. Ltd., Andheri, which supplies coal to small industries.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) wrote to the Maharashtra government on February 22, 2022, requesting an investigation into a man named Vatsal Agarwal who claimed to have been nominated or recommended as the honorary consul of San Marino in India, according to the police. When MEA examined the specifics of his appointment with the Indian consulate in Rome, they learned that no such individual had ever been there, therefore they informed the state administration.

According to DCP Special Branch-2 and FRRO Niyati Thaker-Dave, the state government contacted the Mumbai police commissioner on April 1 and requested that Special Branch-2 look into the situation. Following an investigation ordered by the FRRO, police inspectors Rohini Deshmukh and Ravindra Katkar filed a report against Agarwal and Sharma with the Bangur Nagar police station on Friday.

According to the FIR, Sharma told Agarwal and his father that, in exchange for a payment of $75,000, he could appoint (Vatsal) Agarwal as the honorary consul of San Marino in India.

Nevertheless, the complaining police officer claimed that Agarwal continued to use the title and status of honorary consul of San Marino in India and posted information on various internet forums for publicity.

A police officer involved in the investigation stated, “Probe also revealed that Sharma provides his clients a rate card for the offices of honorary consul of countries like Moldova, Senegal, Albania, etc. against the charge ranging from 10 lakh to 18.50 lakh.”