Latest news with #EOW
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
Bombay HC raps EOW for inacion, transfers builder fraud case to crime branch
MUMBAI : In a rare and significant move, the Bombay High Court transferred the builder fraud case-registered under the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (MPID) Act-to the Mumbai Crime Branch, citing serious lapses in the investigation by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW). The move came after the victims, who had alleged a scam of over Rs 100 crore, filed a petition expressing loss of faith in EOW's probe. In its detailed order dated July 7, the court strongly criticised EOW DCP Sangramsinh Nishandar for failing to take concrete steps since taking over the case in March 2024. "Ex-facie we find that the concerned DCP has hardly taken any efforts in the investigation. An amount of approximately ₹100 crore was siphoned off by the accused and the DCP is unable to follow the money trail." The high court was particularly scathing about the freezing of bank accounts, noting that some had negligible balances of around ₹2,000 to ₹3,000, stating that none of the accused's personal accounts, vehicles, or immovable properties had been attached, barring one project site. 'Laxity and negligence' The affidavit submitted by Nishandar on July 15 drew further criticism, with the court calling his justifications "lame excuses." He claimed that an anticipatory bail order barred coercive action against the accused, which limited his investigation. However, the court rejected this reasoning, saying the order merely protected against arrest and did not restrict investigation. The court also pulled up Nishandar for blaming the Income Tax Department, BKC, for not providing property details linked to PAN numbers. Upon reviewing records, the court found that the EOW's letter merely asked for PAN details, and not property records. "A false blame is put on the Income Tax Department whereas the Senior Police Inspector himself has shown laxity and negligence," it stated. Another major lapse involved the failure to track property transactions. The court noted that a notice was sent on October 20, 2023, to the Joint Sub Registrar of Assurances, Andheri-IV and VI, regarding fresh registrations linked to the accused. Despite subsequent agreements being registered, no action was taken to collect or examine them by the EOW. The court held this demonstrated a lack of initiative on the part of EOW Investigating Officer Mr. Kate. Further, the court pointed out that notices sent to the Inspector General of Registration in November 2023 and March 2024 seeking property details of the accused yielded no results as no follow-up efforts were made by the EOW. In December 2023, the BMC's Building Proposal Department provided project-related documents, including approved plans and IOD receipts, but the EOW again failed to act on this information. Failure to freeze accused's accounts The court also recalled that on June 11, 2025, another bench directed Home Department officials present in court to begin attaching the accused's properties and prevent the sale of assets, yet, significant sums were allowed to move through various accounts. In one instance, ₹45 crore was parked in an account that should have been frozen earlier. By the time action was taken, nearly the entire amount was withdrawn. Similarly in another account, ₹13.14 crore was credited after the FIR, and ₹13.16 crore was later withdrawn. A third account saw ₹3.16 crore credited and quickly moved out. "Now, notices are being issued to identify companies having independent accounts," Nishandar claimed in his affidavit. But the court dismissed this move as "too little too late", while remarking: "We are reminded of an old English phrase: 'locking the gates of the stable, after the horses have bolted.'" The court also noted that the accounts listed in the affidavit now contain merely ₹5,000 to ₹10,000, despite the fraud running into ₹45 crore. "It is quite glaring that though the affidavit runs into 15 pages and refers to a dozen documents, not a single copy has been placed on record. It appears the affiant does not want this Court to examine them," the bench said. Given the petitioners' plea to change the entire investigation team, the court has transferred the probe to the Mumbai Crime Branch under Joint Commissioner Lakhmi Gautam, who has been asked to shortlist his team. The matter will next be heard on July 30. What is the case? An FIR was registered at Amboli Police Station in September 2023 against prominent developers Imtiyaz Maredia , Pyarali Maredia , and others. for allegedly defrauding 139 homebuyers of ₹45 crore. The amount was collected under the pretext of building luxury residential towers named Meridian Heights in Jogeshwari. However, the project has remained incomplete since 2008. Victims have also alleged that the collected funds may have been diverted for personal use. Victims speak "I bought a flat in between 2020 and 2021, and possession was promised by 2023. As per RERA, the builder was to hand it over by the end of 2024, but the project is still incomplete," said Abdul Malik Khan, one of the victims. "Work has only reached the 12th floor, and construction has been stalled for the last 5 years. The site is completely shut. Every time we asked, the builders assured us that work would resume in 15 days and promised 'good news'-which never came. We're under immense mental stress. Despite paying around ₹2 crore, I'm still living in a rented apartment." Another victim, 62-year-old Ruknuddin Mansoori, said that he planned to return to India from UAE but now has nowhere to live. "In August 2008, I invested ₹87 lakh in Meridian Heights. The builder, Imtiyaz, promised me possession, but I had to push them to even sign an agreement in 2016. I'm a senior citizen. This flat was supposed to be my retirement home, bought with my hard-earned money. I don't want a refund-I just want my flat, where I dreamt of living with my children. I have tried calling the builders several times, but he doesn't respond." Mirror reached out to Nishandar, but he refused to comment. Sources in the crime branch have said that a different team has been formed.
News18
a day ago
- News18
Delhi: 2 held for cheating vendors by issuing tenders under fake govt firm
New Delhi, Jul 29 (PTI) Delhi Police has arrested two persons for allegedly duping several merchants and vendors of crores of rupees by posing as representatives of a fake government trust and issuing tenders under it, an official said on Tuesday. The accused, Karunakar alias Ratnakar Upadhyay (40) and Anita Upadhyay (35) were held in connection with a case registered at the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) police station based on multiple complaints, including one by a retired army officer, they said. According to officials, the two are graduates and were unemployed. They turned to fraud for easy money. Ratnakar is involved in multiple criminal cases in Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Delhi, including a rape case registered against him at Paharganj police station in 2023, while Anita was previously arrested in a similar case in Chhattisgarh. 'The duo posed as representatives of a fake trust named Rashtriya Gramin Saksharta Mission (RGSM), which they claimed was a Government of India undertaking. They also created a fake website and opened a bank account in the name of the mission to lend authenticity to their claims," Additional Commissioner of Police (EOW) Amrutha Guguloth said. The accused allegedly induced vendors to register for supplying uniforms, school bags, medical kits and other materials meant for distribution among underprivileged students in various states. After taking delivery of the goods, the two failed to make payments, the officer said. 'In one case, complainant Retired Captain Shivender Singh Bakshi was duped of nearly Rs 2 crore under the pretext of commission for tender allotment and supply of school uniforms," he added. Three other similar complaints from merchants are under investigation. The investigation revealed that Ratnakar had created the fake website and operated the bank account, from which he withdrew approximately Rs 3.5 crore for personal use. Anita, who was presented as the head of mission also received funds from the account and played an active role in the conspiracy, the officer said. Police said the accused were arrested in a case on July 16 and again in another case on July 21. Both were remanded to police custody by a local court. During the probe, two truckloads containing around 45,000 school uniforms valued at approximately Rs 1.5 crore — supplied by complainant Bakshi — were recovered. The accused had earlier been arrested by Chhattisgarh Police in a similar case involving RGSM-related fraud. PTI SSJ SSJ SHS OZ OZ view comments First Published: July 29, 2025, 19:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
Fake govt tender for school uniforms: Delhi Police arrest duo for defrauding vendors of crores of rupees
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) arrested two people accused of orchestrating a fraud involving crores of rupees by deceiving merchants and vendors under the guise of government tenders for school uniforms, the Delhi Police said Tuesday. The accused, identified as Karunakar alias Ratnakar Upadhyay, 40, and Anita Upadhyay, 35, are alleged to have duped multiple suppliers by falsely promising them contracts under the Rashtriya Gramin Saksharta Mission (RGSM), which was claimed to be a Central government initiative. Anita allegedly headed the fictitious RGSM trust and the Chhattisgarh Police had previously arrested the duo in a similar case, said the police. The complainant, Capt Shivender Singh Bakshi, alleged that he had been induced under a criminal conspiracy by Anita Upadhyay and others to register as a vendor for the RGSM. He claimed that he was persuaded to supply school uniforms intended for distribution to underprivileged children across various states. However, after receiving the uniforms, the accused allegedly did not make the promised payments and instead misappropriated the goods. They also allegedly defrauded the complainant of nearly Rs 2 crore, which he claimed to have had paid as a commission for the allotment of the tender. The police said three more similar complaints from other vendors have also been registered and are currently under investigation. 'Ratnakar Upadhyay created a fake website in the domain name of RGSM and Anita opened a bank account in the name of RGSM. The banking transactions confirm the transfer of money from the complainant's account to RGSM's account. Ratnakar withdrew a huge amount of Rs 3.5 crore from the RGSM trust's account and used it for personal gain. Anita was the head of the trust, and she was also found to be a beneficiary of an amount from the RGSM account,' Amrutha Guguloth, Additional Commissioner of Police, EOW. The police obtained a custody remand of the accused after their arrest on July 21 for further interrogation. The authorities also seized two truckloads containing approximately 45,000 school uniforms, valued at around Rs 1.5 crore, which had allegedly been supplied by one of the complainants as part of the fake tender deal. According to the police, Ratnakas has previously been involved in multiple criminal cases in Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and a rape case in Delhi's Paharganj.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
J&K crime branch nabs four in corruption, cheating case
Economic offences wing (EOW) of J&K Police arrested four persons while looking for three more, including a tehsildar and a patwari, who are absconding, in a major case of corruption, cheating, false mutations and wrongful insertions in revenue records. The arrested persons have been identified as Riyaz Ahmad Bhat, of Nowgam, Srinagar, Mohammad Shafi Lone, of Peerbagh, Srinagar, Shahnawaz Ahmad Rather, of Padshahi Bagh Srinagar and Shabir Ahmad Wani, of Bagandar Lasjan. (File) The EOW, previously crime branch Kashmir, has arrested the four out of seven accused after their investigation revealed that the involved persons operated in an organised manner causing substantial financial loss and agony to gullible people in Srinagar and Budgam districts. 'Four persons were arrested under an FIR No. 14/2025 U/S 167,420, 120-B RPC r/w 5(2) Prevention of Corruption Act Svt. 2006. dated 09.07.2025 registered against seven individuals, including two revenue officers for their involvement in corruption, cheating, false mutations and wrongful insertions in revenue records,' a spokesperson of the investigation wing said. The arrested persons have been identified as Riyaz Ahmad Bhat, of Nowgam, Srinagar, Mohammad Shafi Lone, of Peerbagh, Srinagar, Shahnawaz Ahmad Rather, of Padshahi Bagh Srinagar and Shabir Ahmad Wani, of Bagandar Lasjan. Among the other three alleged accused, who are still absconding, is Nusrat Aziz, a resident of Gurez at present Mehjoor Nagar Srinagar, who is a tehsildar. 'She had applied for 'bail', however, it was cancelled by the court of anti corruption judge Srinagar. Since then the tehsildar is at large and is evading her arrest,' said the spokesperson. 'Furthermore, the other two accused individuals Ashiq Ali, of Panner Jagir at present Hawal Srinagar (the then Patwari, Balhama Srinagar) and Shamima Akhter, of Gooripora Rawalpora are also at large and efforts are underway to apprehend them at the earliest as per the rule of law,' the spokesperson said.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
EOW widens net around absconding tribal welfare officer
Jabalpur: The Economic Offences Wing has intensified its crackdown on Jagdish Prasad Sarwate, deputy commissioner in the tribal welfare dept, uncovering a string of high-value assets linked to the absconding officer. A 10-room luxury resort near Kanha National Park, land purchased near Bandhavgarh National Park in Umaria district, and in Katni district were unearthed, sources said. The EOW will conduct a search at Sarwate's Bhopal flat on Monday, which could not be accessed earlier due to the occupant's absence. The crackdown began on July 22 when three EOW teams simultaneously raided Sarwate's official residence in Shankar Shah Nagar, his ancestral house in Adhartal (both in Jabalpur), and a private property in Bagmugaliya, Bhopal. During the operation, officials recovered documents related to 32 properties registered under Sarwate and his family's names, Rs 8.25 lakh in cash, and several investment documents. A tiger hide was found at his ancestral home, and a large quantity of liquor was seized from his govt quarters. The forest dept has since registered a case under the Wildlife Protection Act against Sarwate's 70-year-old mother, Savitri, while Gorakhpur police booked the officer under provisions of the Excise Act. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Hurt in an Accident? Read This vividtrendlab Undo On Wednesday, the EOW raided Sarwate's govt residence in Sagar. However, the search at his Bhopal flat was postponed due to the absence of its current occupant. Jewellery worth Rs 18 lakh was recovered from bank lockers. According to sources, the total value of properties unearthed in the case so far has crossed Rs 6.5 crore. EOW teams have also visited the resort near Kanha, which features 10 luxury rooms. The PWD has been tasked with estimating its construction cost. EOW officials confirmed that the officer was initially let off during the first phase of the probe but has since gone underground. Efforts to trace him have been underway for the last six days, said sources.
