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Time of India
24-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Who is the ‘Mysterious Woman' in Rs800 Crore Scam? Crime Branch Wants to Know
1 2 Nagpur: A mystery woman on the rolls of a fake company in the Rs 800cr business cartel scam, drew a salary of Rs 15,000, but her name figured in the company proprietorship list with mind boggling transactions of Rs 61 crore. This shocker came to the fore when the crime branch team stumbled upon crucial documents and records related to the scam during a search of the factory premises. Sources in the crime branch stated the woman, who worked at the office of one of the five arrested accused in the scam, could possess details of fake companies, benami properties, records, bank accounts, and other associates of the scamsters. Currently, the crime branch is interrogating the two accused, Bunty Shahu and Jayesh Shahu, who are in police custody till May 27, about the mystery woman. Police said she may be knowing more secrets of the scam, but is currently underground. Police have also tried to zero in on a location where the woman resided, but she was untraceable. Sources stated the cops found substantial clues on the scam during the search operation at the factory premises, where the company in the name of the woman functioned until the scam went bust. Shell Game Busted A cartel of eight duped the govt using 87+ fake firms; a hawala and online gaming angle surfaces too. The Fraud Eight businessmen floated more than 87 shell companies, generating fake invoices and bills of supply, and conducted transactions with numerous other similar fake entities through dubious bank accounts. Funds were shown as business transactions, then withdrawn—but set-off claims and tax benefits were availed without depositing any money into govt coffers. Accounts were taken on a 'rent' basis before being used for channelling funds into online gaming and cricket betting. Hawala channels were used for routing substantial cash. Modus Operandi The perpetrators collected Aadhaar, PAN, and personal data of individuals. They opened bank accounts and bought SIMs in victims' names for OTP generations for financial transactions. Fake bills and receipts were issued to mimic real transactions, and fabricated ledgers and accounts were created to claim tax credits. Victims were lured with false promises and paid meagre sums. Threats and coercion were used when victims raised objections. Probe So Far Around 86 fake companies were unearthed. Cops wrote to different banks to seize around 25 bank accounts. They also wrote to different agencies like the GST department seeking information about the fake companies. Timeline Fraud period: August 3 – December 12, 2024 Offence registered: May 17, 2025 First PCR ended on: May 22, 2025 PCR extended till May 27, 2025, for Bunty Shahu and Jayesh Shahu Bail Granted To: Brijkishor Maniyar Accused Yet to Be Nabbed: Rajesh Shahu, Avinash Shahu & Anshul Mishra Ground Zero Plot No. 267, Pritam Complex, Sudarshan Chowk, Old Bhandara Road, Small Factory Area The Accused Arrested: Bunty Shahu, Jayesh Shahu, Brijkishor Maniyar, Rishi Lakhani, Anand Harde Accused Sent to MCR: Rishi Lakhani & Anand Harde What Cops Found Rs 24 lakh cash, pen drives, laptops, DVRs, cellphones, account books, ledgers, fake financial records, bank statements, and cheque books. Operation Breakdown 14 locations were searched, and 9 police teams were deployed. Key officers involved were Sr PI Kamlakar Gaddime, ACP Abhijeet Patil, and DCP Rahul Maknikar. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Biz cartel scam swells to Rs 800cr, involving 86 fake firms
Nagpur: The Nagpur police presented a strong argument before the magistrate court on Thursday, seeking extension of remand of two arrested members of the business cartel, which made fraudulent transactions of Rs 800 crore through 86 fake companies in two years. The amount siphoned off is likely to increase further with cops seeking details from GST and other departments and the probe likely to reach Pune. Two chartered accountants linked to the cartel were quizzed on Thursday to ascertain their role in the scam. Police have launched a search for a bookie, Govind Tanna, and conduit, Riyaz Ali, who generated funds through online gaming and cricket betting through shell companies. Around 10 accounts were used by arrested cartel members, Bunty Shahu and Jayesh Shahu, to conduct betting transactions with cops zeroing in on the account holders. Another 17 accounts have been traced in the name of Bunty Shahu's family. Based on the arguments, the court extended police custody of the Shahu duo till May 27. The court had granted bail to GST consultant, Brijkishor Maniyar, on medical grounds. Two other arrested accused, Rishi Lakhani and Arun Harde, were sent to magisterial custody in Nagpur central prison, said crime branch officials. While Lakhani was involved in hawala transactions for the cartel, Harde ploughed money through the smart city credit cooperative bank, said an official privy to the probe. Crime branch teams are now engaged in searches for remaining accused. Apart from Riyaz Ali and Tanna, police are trying to nab other cartel members — Rajesh Shahu, Anshul Mishra and Avinash Shahu. Police sources said, Bunty and Jayesh had hired office boys to handle the operation of fake companies. "Each office employee was given cheque books, ATM cards, SIM cards to generate OTPs, fake receipt books, account books, ledgers, invoices, and transport bills of different companies. These office boys would create fake records," said officials, adding four transport companies are under the scanner. The probe, under DCP crime Rahul Maknikar and ACP Abhijeet Patil, is being conducted by senior inspector Kamlakar Gaddime and others. "Around 12 places have been searched so far. We have recovered electronic evidence and documentary records which are being scanned now," said an official.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Fake biz cartel scam amount increases to Rs250 crore, 90 fake cos under scanner
Nagpur: The spread of the financial scam involving a business cartel generating fake banking transactions to claim tax benefits has escalated to a staggering Rs250 crore, with over 90 fake companies uncovered. The crime branch is now probing indications that a significant amount of black money was laundered through these channels. "The accused routed black money from local businesses, converted it into 'white' through fraudulent billing, and reintegrated it via hawala routes," a police official revealed. The investigation is also examining the role of several hawala operators who facilitated the transfer of illicit funds. The investigation, which initially uncovered 70 dubious entities linked to Rs156 crore in fraudulent transactions , revealed a sophisticated network of fake firms, hawala operations, and connections to international online gaming and betting activities. The probe, led by senior inspector Kamlakar Gaddime under the supervision of assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Abhijeet Patil and deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Rahul Maknikar, intensified with ongoing searches yielding critical evidence. On Wednesday, the crime branch conducted raids at four locations where records and documents of the fake business entities were stored by employees of the prime accused, Santosh alias Bunty Shahu. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Viral Video: मृत्यू कसाही येऊ शकतो! सीसीटीव्हीत कैद झाली काळीज पिळवटणारी घटना Latest News Read More Undo These searches uncovered trails of substantial funds being funnelled into international online gaming platforms through hawala channels, raising concerns about large-scale money laundering , running into thousands of crores. Five accused: Bunty Shahu (52), his brother Jayesh Shahu (36), Brijkishor Maniyar (59), Rushi Lakhani (21), and Anand Harde (33), all of Nagpur, are to appear in court on Thursday, with cops seeking custody extension. "We will argue for at least another week's custody as the probe is at a crucial stage," said DCP Maknikar. Three accused — Rajesh Shahu, Avinash Shahu, and Anshul Mishra — remain at large. The police have initiated the process to freeze 25 bank accounts linked to the transactions. A forensic audit is underway to trace the money trail and establish the scam's modus operandi, which included generating fake invoices, siphoning funds through fraudulent GST claims, and laundering money via hawala networks. Investigators have seized bank passbooks, investment documents, and papers tied to the scam, from Bunty Shahu's office at Sakshi Foods in the Small Factory Area. Shahu's team had some 15 members, including chartered accountants and commerce graduates, highlighting the sophisticated nature of the operation.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Nagpur police probe multi-crore scam, tax evasion involving 175 companies
Nagpur: The crime branch is conducting raids and searches at different places in Nagpur in the Rs156 crore GST scam , bringing around 175 companies under its scanner. In the last 24 hours, nine teams of crime branch conducted 11 searches. Sources said that material worth more than Rs41 lakh, which included cash exceeding Rs24 lakh, has been seized from the five persons arrested so far in the case. The five arrested, Bunty Shahu, Jayesh Shahu, Anand Harde, Rushi Lakhani, and Brijkishor Maniyar, are now being interrogated in police custody. The cops are expected to seek an extension of their custody. "We have information the racketeers formed 70 companies on the basis of fake documents . The records, documents, invoices, and online transactions of these companies need to be recovered," said DCP Rahul Maknikar, who, along with ACP Abhijit Patil, started unearthing the scam, which likely cost the state exchequer crores of rupees in the form of various tax evasions. Apart from sales tax and GST evasion, the crime branch is now engaged in unearthing hawala transactions and involvement in online gaming by the businessmen named in the scam. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Добро пожаловать в Аравию SAUDI Забронировать Undo Sources said the nine businessmen and their aides misused SIM cards issued with fake documents in various illegal activities, including online gaming. The case was registered following the complaint of one Biswajit Roy, whose Aadhaar card, PAN card, SIM cards, and other signed documents were misused to create a firm in his name, only to use it to create fake transactions to the tune of around Rs96 crore last year. The nine businessmen issued fake receipts to around 117 companies, which are now under the crime branch radar. "Whether these 117 companies exist at all is a question," said Maknikar. In a similar way, the racketeers also used documents and credentials of one Mithun Rajpande to create a fake firm and issue bogus receipts to around 57 companies whose existence is being probed. "The crime branch will probe the transportation receipts and bills of the suspected companies. We will summon the transporters to furnish their records and bills issued to the businessmen who are in police custody now. A section of transporters are under the scanner, and their involvement cannot be ruled out," said a senior official part of the probe. Sources said that police are now engaging electronic gadget experts to recover evidence from the seized laptops and pen drives. The cops feel substantial evidence of fraud is likely to be gathered from the laptops and pen drives. "During the initial probe, it came to the fore that the firms engaged school dropouts as accountants to operate the transaction books," said a senior official.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Fake firms generate Rs156 crore bills in GST fraud, 5 held
Nagpur: The crime branch unearthed a massive Rs156 crore fraud by a group of businessmen, including five arrested in a night-long operation that began on Saturday and lasted until dawn on Sunday. The complaint says around 60-70 fake companies were formed by the group, which conducted illegal hawala transactions and online gaming, apart from defrauding the GST department by claiming refunds by posing as bonafide businesses. An offence was registered against Bunty Shahu, Jayesh Shahu, Avinash Shahu, Rushi Lakhani, Anand Harde, Rajesh Shahu, Brijkishor Manihar, Anshul Mishra, and others at the Lakadganj police station, following a complaint lodged by Kolkata-based Biswajeet Roy. The crime branch has already arrested Bunty, Jayesh, Harde, Lakhani, and Maniyar, who were remanded to police custody until May 22 after being produced before the court on Sunday. The action was initiated by senior inspector Kamlakar Gaddime under DCP crime Rahul Maknikar and CP Ravinder Singal. Apart from Roy, the group also duped one Mithun Rajpande. According to the complaint filed by Roy, the group misused his PAN card, Aadhaar card, and other documents to set up a private firm and misused the entity to pocket huge profits while keeping him unaware of the details of the transactions, most of which were fake. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Roy, speaking to the TOI, said he was introduced to the alleged fraudsters in June 2024 through an acquaintance, Suraj Kedia, as he wanted some employment or help to start a small business. "I am a school dropout. They took my Aadhaar card, PAN card, and made me sign numerous documents, stating they would ensure some monthly income for me. Initially, they paid me Rs25,000 and helped me with accommodation at a godown," said Roy, who faced financial losses after his father's death in 2023. According to the FIR, which is in the possession of the TOI, the complainant said the businessmen prepared fake invoices of various goods, which they sent to different firms, shops, suppliers, and distributors. They would withdraw in cash the payments made into bank accounts, and use them for their benefit. Roy stated the businessmen used fake bills and invoices worth Rs96.39 crore between September and December 2024 to pocket most of the amount, duping the GST department with false declarations. Most of these transactions were in the name of the firm opened in Roy's name. Misusing the firm opened in the name of one Rajpande, the businessmen prepared fake bills and invoices worth Rs59.51 crore between September and November 2024 and pocketed the bulk of the amount after duping the GST department, said the complaint.
