Latest news with #Hiralba
Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Gujarat: Days before bail hearing in second case, third FIR against Hiralba in Junagadh
A third FIR , this time by the Junagadh police, has been lodged against Hiralba Jadeja, the sister-in-law of late Santokben 'Godmother' Jadeja and the aunt of incumbent Kutiyana MLA Kandhal Jadeja, for allegedly opening three shell firms and opening at least 22 benami bank accounts. In the latter half of May, Hiralba got bail in a Rs 70 lakh extortion case in Porbandar but had to remain in judicial custody in the second case against her by Porbandar police, that of allegedly setting up benami bank accounts and receiving proceeds of crime from cyber frauds. The bail hearing for this second case is due on June 3. But just four days before this hearing, the third FIR was filed against Hiralba for allegedly opening three shell firms in the names of other accused persons, having them run shops in the name of these corporate entities and opening at least 22 benami bank, accounts of which at least 11 are named in cybercrime complaints across various parts of India, as recipients of proceeds of crime, said Police Inspector JJ Patel of the Local Crime Branch (LCB) of Junagadh Police. The latest FIR, filed on the basis of a complaint by PSI HJ Barad on behalf of the State, at Junagadh Range Cybercrime Police station on May 30, booked Hiralba Jadeja, Naitik Mavani, Sachin Mehta and Hitesh Odedara (also accused in other two cases with Hiralba). The accused have been booked under BNS Sections 336(2) (forgery), 336(3) (forgery with intent to cheat), 338 (forgery of valuable documents), 340(2) (forged documents or electronic records), 318(4) (cheating), 317(2) (possession of stolen property), 317(4) (stolen property) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) and under The Information Technology Act. Police officials in Junagadh said that they received information from Porbandar Police about three 'suspicious bank accounts that had been traced back to Hiralba Jadeja and were being operated from Junagadh', following which a preliminary investigation was done by the Local Crime Branch, leading to the third FIR. The FIR stated that a firm named Arham Commodities operated eight bank accounts while another firm Vitthal Pulse Commodities operated another eight bank accounts, and Bharat Enterprise operated six accounts across nine banks. Police investigation allegedly found that there were 83 cybercrime complaints filed against several of these bank accounts on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) and Samanvay Portal across 17 states and one UT. The FIR stated that the police got in touch with the three men listed as proprietors of Arham Commodities, Vitthal Pulse Commodities, and Bharat Enterprise, who all allegedly pointed to Hiralba Jadeja and the other three accused of having setting up the firms and the associated bank accounts without their knowledge. LCB Inspector JJ Patel said that details of the money transactions in the 22 bank accounts had been sought from the nine banks and further investigation had been handed over to the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Junagadh Police. Case History On April 30, Hiralba Jadeja, a member of the powerful political clan of Kutiyana in Porbandar, was booked by Harbour Marine police on charges of abduction, extortion and criminal intimidation among other sections of the BNS after Leelu Kuchhadiya, who is in Israel, posted a video since viral on social media, claiming that her husband Bhanu and minor son Ranjit had been abducted by Jadeja and others for about 17 days and made to sign several blank cheques, demanding a sum of Rs 70 lakh from them. She was subsequently arrested on May 1, 2025. On May 15, Hiralba Jadeja was booked along with five others in an FIR filed by PSI VR Chavda on behalf of the State, at the cybercrime police station in Porbandar district, for controlling several mule bank accounts registered in the name of poor people. These bank accounts were prima facie found to contain proceeds of crime. The number of these alleged benami bank accounts was found to be at least 50 during the probe. She was arrested in this case on May 20, 2025. According to Porbandar Police DySP Surjeet Mahedu, Jadeja received bail in the extortion case on May 26 but continued to remain in Porbandar Jail in the second case. The bail application in this cybercrime case is up for hearing in a local Porbandar court on June 3, 2025.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Time of India
Bhavnagar, Banaskantha, Mehsana emerge as new cybercrime hotspots
Ahmedabad: New hotspots are emerging in India's cybercrime landscape. Not very long ago, regions such as Jamtara in Jharkhand, Alwar and Bharatpur in Rajasthan, and Mewat and Nuh in Haryana were notorious for cybercrime activities. Now, Gujarat has entered the scene, with Banaskantha, Mehsana and Bhavnagar becoming areas of concern for the state police. This change comes as Gujarat police begin closely monitoring crimes and arrests in these three districts. The development follows the arrest of Kutiyana MLA Kandhal Jadeja's aunt Hiralba Jadeja, who is accused of operating a 'digital arrest' scam. According to police, Hiralba was behind a group that cheated people in Gujarat, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The victims were forced to transfer money, amounting to a total of Rs 3.96 crore. The money was deposited into several bank accounts. Porbandar police have registered a case of cyberfraud against Hiralba and five others — Hitesh Odedra, Parth Songela, Mohan Vaja, Ajay Chauhan and Raju Mer. Legal proceedings are underway. A senior Gujarat police official said, "We have found that there are multiple gangs operating from Bhavnagar, Mehsana and Banaskantha who are cheating people through digital arrest and stock market investment fraud. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Bhavnagar has turned into the hub of bogus or dummy firms which are used in hawala transactions of money obtained through cyberfraud." The officer explained that people previously working in Alang and Bhavnagar moved into this illegal activity, setting up fake companies and offering bank accounts for fraud use. Another officer from Gandhinagar noted that Banaskantha and Mehsana were earlier known for cricket betting. Now, those involved in gambling have started helping cyberfraud gangs by giving them access to bank accounts and systems. "First, these gamblers and bettors from Banaskantha and Mehsana provided logistics support such as accounts and systems to fraudsters from neighbouring Rajasthan. Gradually, these people from Banaskantha and Mehsana learned the ropes of cyberfraud and ventured into it," the officer said. Police have also noticed a rise in fraudulent bank accounts in cities such as Ahmedabad and Surat. "Cybercrooks use mules like migrant labourers to open bank accounts. So, even if police trace an account, it turns out to be of a factory worker or a security guard," another officer said.
Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Indian Express
‘Godmother' Santokben's kin Hiralba Jadeja sent to two-day police remand
The Porbandar police on Wednesday said they have received a two-day remand of Hiralba Jadeja, the sister-in-law of late Santokben 'Godmother' Jadeja and the aunt of incumbent Kutiyana MLA Kandhal Jadeja, in a case pertaining to alleged possession of monetary proceeds of cyber crime stashed in benami bank accounts. The proceeds are alleged to have been deposited and then withdrawn by her and her accomplices. Hiralba, Hitesh Bhima Odedara, Parth Songela, Mohan Ranchhod Vaza, Ajay Mansukh Chauhan, and Raju Mer, were booked under IPC Sections 120b (criminal conspiracy), 411 (dishonesty receiving stolen property), 413 (habitually dealing in stolen property), and 420 (cheating). They were also booked under Section 66(d) of the Information Technology Act in an FIR filed on May 15 on the basis of a complaint by a Sub-Inspector of Cybercrime Police station in Porbandar, on behalf of the state. While Hiralba and Hitesh were already in judicial custody in another case pertaining to alleged abduction and attempted extortion of Rs 70 lakh from a family, the other four accused are yet to be apprehended, said Deputy SP Surjeet Mahedu, who is supervising both the cases. Hiralba, who is the widow of former MLA Bhura Munja Jadeja, was along with Hitesh, arrested by the Porbandar Cybercrime Police on Tuesday. On Wednesday, they were producted in court, which granted the police two-day remand of both the accused. Speaking on the investigation, DySP Mahedu said that while the FIR had mentioned that the police had identified 14 benami accounts controlled by Jadeja and others, this number has since increased to more than 50 — almost all of which had been mentioned in complaints registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) and the Samanvaya Portal. While multiple bank accounts were registered in the name of poor people and labourers, several were registered in the names of the accused in the case. None of these bank accounts were found registered in Hiralba's name. 'We have also scanned CCTV footage which showed innocent people providing their documents to the accused who opened bank accounts in their name only to take them to the bank later to withdraw sums of money from those accounts,' said the DySP. Speaking on Hiralba's role, DySP Mahedu said that they had found proof against her from WhatsApp chats and Call Details Records (CDR). The police have also detected transactions through firms, which are under investigation. 'We have also found direct evidence in the form of cheques and other bank accounts in which proceeds of crime were deposited. Further, we have sought details of email IDs being operated through VPN that were traced to Dubai and other places abroad. These are subject of technical investigation,' said Mahedu. Further investigation in the case is underway.
Indian Express
15-05-2025
- Indian Express
Already in jail in abduction, extortion case, ‘godmother' Santokben's kin now booked for ‘possession of proceeds of crime in benami accounts'
Hiralba Jadeja, the aunt of Kutiyana MLA Kandhal Jadeja and sister-in-law of the late Santokben 'Godmother' Jadeja, who is already in jail in a case pertaining to abduction and extortion, has now been booked for alleged possession of monetary proceeds of cyber crime stashed in benami bank accounts in the names of casual labourers. She was booked on Wednesday along with five others in an FIR filed on behalf of the State at the cyber crime police station in Porbandar district. Porbandar Superintendent of Police (SP) Bhagirathsinh U Jadeja told The Indian Express, 'During our financial investigation into the case of extortion for which she is already in judicial custody, Hiralba was found to be in possession of several mule bank accounts registered in the name of poor people and labourers. These bank accounts were prima facie found to contain proceeds of crime from cyber crime cases registered across several states of India.' When asked about the direction of the investigation, SP Jadeja said, 'We are investigating whether the accused persons were just involved in storing the proceeds of crime or they also had a role in cyber crimes that led to these monetary proceeds being acquired. We are also investigating whether money laundering has taken place.' Besides Hiralba, Hitesh Bhima Odedara, Parth Songela, Mohan Ranchhod Vaza, Ajay Mansukh Chauhan, and Raju Mer were booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 120b (criminal conspiracy), 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property), 413 (habitually dealing in stolen property), and 420 (cheating). They were also booked under section 66 (d) of the Information Technology Act. While Hiralba and Hitesh are already in judicial custody, the police are looking to arrest the other four accused persons, said SP Jadeja. The FIR, accessed by The Indian Express, said that 'the investigation into suspicious bank accounts led them to 14 such accounts at Kotak Mahindra Bank in Porbandar. When they cross checked this data on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP), they found that at least five of these bank accounts had been listed as recipients of proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 35.37 lakh generated through seven cases of cyber crimes.' The police then spoke to the complainants in these cases and found that they had been cheated of various amounts through online job and investment frauds as well as impersonation of officials from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The police also found that 10 of the 14 benami accounts had been opened in a very short period of time and with the same address – Porbandar's Suraj Palace, which is the home of Hiralba. Hiralba is the widow of Bhura Munja Jadeja, a former MLA of the Ranavav-Kutiyana assembly constituency, which, after delimitation, became the Kutiyana constituency. Her husband's nephew Kandhal is the incumbent MLA from the same assembly seat. The FIR, filed by police sub-inspector V R Chavda, stated that according to police statements taken of officials of the bank, they had gone to visit Hiralba at her home on her insistence and explained the process of opening bank accounts on May 29, 2024. When they went back to the residence the same evening, they found 8-10 'customers' waiting for them with their documents. However, on that day, only five accounts could be opened since the others did not have complete documents. Other bank accounts were opened on May 30, 2024, and by June 7, 2024, a total of nine savings bank accounts had been opened with the same address — Suraj Palace. The police took statements from five officials of the bank. The FIR also said that statements were taken from the people in whose names these benami accounts were registered, who named various other accused persons for 'convincing' them to open these bank accounts and then made them sign several cheques without disclosing any further details to them. On May 1, Hiralba was arrested on charges of abduction, extortion and criminal intimidation among other sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) after a woman, Leelu Kuchhadiya, who is in Israel, posted a video on social media, claiming that her husband and minor son had been abducted by Hiralba and others for about 17 days and made to sign several blank cheques, demanding a sum of Rs 70 lakh from them. The FIR against Hiralba, and two others, brothers Hitesh and Vijay Bhima Odedara, and a few unknown others, was filed at Harbour Marine police station on April 30, based on a complaint by Kuchhadiya's father.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Time of India
Former MLA's wife, aide arrested for kidnapping three of family
Rajkot: Wife of former MLA from Kutiyana and another person were arrested for allegedly kidnapping a woman's father, husband and son, and holding them hostage for ransom, in Porbandar. The complaint was filed by the woman Leelu Odedra , a native of Kuchhdi village in Porbandar district and currently residing in Israel. While Leelu's father Bhana lodged the complaint with Harbour Marine police station late on Wednesday night, she had shared shared a video on social media accusing the former MLA's wife Hiralba Jadeja and her associates of orchestrating the abduction. Porbandar district superindent of police (DSP) Bhagirathsingh Jadeja said the police launched an investigation as soon as they got to know about the allegations. Initially, her family members claimed that they had gone to Hiralba's house on their own seeking protection and denied kidnapping. Later, however, they filed a complaint after a detailed inquiry done by the police. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like They Lost Their Money - Learn From Their Lesson Expertinspector Click Here Undo In his complaint, Bhana accused Hiralba, Hitesh Odedra, Vijay Odedra, and five unidentified persons of kidnapping, wrongful confinement, and criminal intimidation. Police arrested Hiralba and Hitesh. In the complaint, Bhana stated that Leelu had moved to Israel six months ago. On April 11, while he and his son-in-law Bhanu were asleep, a group of men barged into their home and took them to a bungalow, reportedly owned by Hiralba. There, they were confined in a room where Hiralba, along with Hitesh and Vijaydemanded repayment of Rs 70 lakh, which they claimed Leelu had borrowed. Bhanabhai told them they were unaware of this amount and lacked the financial capacity to repay. During a video call with Leelu, she admitted to having sent Rs 30 lakh to Vijay to be paid to Hiralba. However, Hiralba denied receiving any money and told her that Bhana's family won't released until the full amount was paid. Bhana and Bhanu were allegedly held at the bungalow for 17 days. A few days into their confinement, Hiralba's men also brought in Leelu's son Ranjit, who was allegedly threatened and pressured to arrange for the money. The complainants were beaten. They were released with threats of dire consequences. Jadeja said the arrested duo will be presented in court for remand. During custodial interrogation, police will investigate the involvement of other accomplices, the confiscation of mobile phones, cash, and land documents during the 17-day confinement, and any further offenses committed.
