Digital Goa, Dec 9 – Vaibhav Thakar — arrested by Maharashtra Police on December 7 for allegedly cheating a Zaveri Bazaar jeweller of ₹2.8 crore while posing as an officer from the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office — had earlier been in the spotlight in Goa after meeting CM Pramod Sawant and donating 31 laptops to the Goa Police in April 2025. Thakar, who reportedly claimed high-level political connections and used fake government credentials to execute elaborate fraud involving alleged Customs-seized gold, had identified himself as a jewellery shop owner during his Goa visit. Photographs of him handing over the laptops as part of a claimed CSR contribution were shared on the Goa CMO’s official social media handle, publicly acknowledging the gesture.
