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₹400-Cr Demonetised Cash Heist Cover-Up? Complainant Alleges Political ‘Fixing’ In SIT Probe

Published

8 months ago

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Mumbai: The probe into the alleged Rs 400-crore demonetised currency heist at Chorla Ghat near the Maharashtra–Karnataka border has entered a volatile phase after complainant Sandeep Patil alleged that the investigation was being ‘manipulated under political pressure.’ Patil told media on Tuesday that certain officers are attempting to alter the course of the probe to facilitate a high-level cover-up.

He further alleged that the focus of the agency has shifted from recovering the massive cache of stolen currency to an all-out attempt to silence him, claiming he has been threatened by senior officers and warned not to disclose sensitive details discussed prior to the registration of the formal complaint.

Patil alleged that the officers concerned  were fully aware of the Rs 400-crore cash movement and had conducted detailed inquiries, including recording statements of the accused, nearly 20 days before a formal FIR was registered in Nashik. He further claimed that vested interests were now  attempting to suggest that the alleged heist never occurred;  a move, he alleged, was aimed at protecting certain influential beneficiaries. 

Revealing what he described as an unofficial probe into the alleged heist by Nashik police prior to his formal complaint, Patil accused Local Crime Branch (LCB) inspector Ravindra Magar, a member of the SIT, of pressuring and warning him not to disclose details of a crucial meeting held on December 19 last year.

This meeting, which took place almost three weeks before the formal case was filed, was reportedly attended by Patil, Inspector Magar, and an accused named Jayesh Kadam. During this session, Kadam allegedly disclosed details regarding the cash movement, including specific container numbers, the mechanics of the heist, the role of a prominent hawala operator, and a suspected political funding angle. Patil alleged that electronic evidence related to these discussions had been shared by Kadam with Magar well before the case was officially on the record, making the current denials a matter of deep suspicion.  

According to Patil, he is now being pressured not to reveal details of the meeting, while the SIT is accepting revised statements from the accused that contradict earlier versions on which the FIR was based, and is attempting to project that the alleged Rs 400-crore heist never occurred. Magar however denied the allegation and said the matter is under Additional SP supervision. 

To support his allegations, Patil claimed that the same set of officers who had unofficially probed the matter on the instructions of senior officials for nearly two months prior to the filing of his complaint are now officially investigating the case as part of the SIT, which was constituted by Nashik Rural Superintendent of Police Balasaheb Patil. 

Senior officials familiar with the probe said that Patil’s allegations align with statements made by arrested accused Jayesh Kadam during police custody. Kadam has categorically denied having given the statement attributed to him prior to the registration of the FIR and has alleged that the signatures on that statement were forged. The disputed statement formed the basis of the FIR registered at Ghoti police station in Nashik Gramin.  

Sources said  during custodial  interrogation by the same SIT officers who had earlier recorded his statement, Kadam has now claimed that no Rs 400-crore heist occurred and that the matter involved cheating and forgery amounting to Rs 35 crore. The alleged transaction has been linked to absconding accused Thane-based builder Kishor Sawala and Virat Gandhi, a hawala operator based in Ahmedabad.  

However, audio and video evidence, shared  by the complaint with the SIT via a pendrive and recovered from Jayesh Kadam, clearly shows that Kadam’s statement does not match the evidence.

Responding to the allegations, SIT chief and Additional Superintendent of Police (Nashik Rural) Aditya Mirkhelkar told media that the investigation is currently based solely on the statements of the four accused in custody. “They claim they acted on behalf of a Thane-based builder but have not seen any cash. Whatever they are stating is based only on what they were told,” he said, adding that discrepancies, concealment and possibly misleading statements were part of the ongoing probe.

Mirkhelkar added that the alleged heist could only be conclusively verified after the arrest and examination of the two absconding accused, Sawala and Gandhi, whose versions would determine whether the Rs 400-crore cash movement actually occurred. He did not respond specifically to queries regarding Kadam’s change in statement. 

Patil further revealed that the disputed statements of accused Jayesh Kadam were linked to a December 19 meeting last year, when LCB PI Ravindra Magar and Dattaji Shinde, both now part of the SIT, allegedly called Patil and Kadam to the LCB office. This was reportedly the first meeting after Kadam’s original statement had been recorded. According to Patil, during the meeting, Kadam told Magar in his presence that that the case involved a sum much larger than Rs 400 crore in demonetised currency, allegedly linked to a political party and a Gujarat-based ashram.

Kadam claimed that builder Kishor Sawala executed the transaction on behalf of a politician, while hawala operator Virat Gandhi handled consignments for the ashram. Gandhi reportedly demanded a Rs 150-crore security deposit for the ashram, to be returned after the transaction. Two consignments, worth Rs 150 crore and Rs 250 crore, were allegedly transported from an undisclosed Karnataka location to the Ahmedabad-based ashram but were stolen at Chorla Ghat, at the tri-junction of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Goa. Kadam is said to have shared photographs of the consignments with Magar and identified Gandhi as a key participant.    

According to Patil, two officers  employed various tactics to pressure him into not filing the FIR. Even after the matter came under SIT jurisdiction, he alleged that the same officers continued threatening him and attempting to mislead the investigation. 

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Crime

MMRDA declares airport-adjacent structure illegal; Kirit Somaiya demands immediate demolition

Published

15 hours ago

on

September 10, 2026

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Mumbai, Sep 10: Tensions have escalated near Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (Terminal 2) after the Maharashtra Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) confirmed that a religious structure operating near the high-security zone lacks statutory planning permissions and is unauthorised.

Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kirit Somaiya has alleged a deliberate attempt at unauthorised land occupation — characterising the structure as “Land Jihad” — and has pressed state authorities and site operators to initiate criminal action against the trustees and individuals responsible.

Following complaints regarding unauthorised construction near sensitive airport land, MMRDA verified that no official approvals, building sanctions, or permissions were ever granted for the religious structure.

MMRDA has issued formal notices to Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) directing the immediate removal and demolition of the unauthorised structure to ensure the perimeter remains clear.

Somaiya has formally requested both MMRDA and MIAL to go beyond physical clearance by registering a First Information Report (FIR) against the managing trustees and individuals associated with the illegal construction.

The controversy highlights ongoing scrutiny surrounding unauthorised encroachments adjacent to critical national infrastructure. Officials note that unregulated structures near VIP corridors, taxi parking lanes, and terminal facilities pose significant security hazards.

The matter aligns with previous judicial observations where courts have emphasised that public safety and secure zones near international hubs supersede unauthorised religious claims or structures erected without explicit administrative approvals.

Authorities from MIAL and local police departments are currently reviewing directives provided by MMRDA regarding execution steps and necessary security arrangements during the scheduled clearance drive.

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Crime

Priyanka Gandhi office warns against her deepfake videos asking people to invest money

Published

15 hours ago

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September 10, 2026

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New Delhi, Sep 10: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi on Thursday urged people to stay cautious of misleading and fabricated videos allegedly featuring her and asked them not to fall prey to fraudulent and deceitful calls for investment in real estate projects or any other futuristic ventures.

Priyanka Gandhi’s office flagged the issue after her deepfake videos surfaced and were seen in circulation on multiple social media platforms.

It has urged the Congress leader’s followers and others to neither click on those posts nor give consent to any requests made in the AI-generated video.

Issuing a formal scam alert on Instagram, Priyanka Gandhi’s office warned the public against fake, AI-generated videos that have apparently used her face and voice to cheat the people and hoodwink them into fraudulent investments.

“Fake videos using AI-generated images and voice of Smt Priyanka Gandhi Vadra ji is circulating on WhatsApp, Instagram and other social media platforms asking people to invest money,” Cong MP’s office informed on its Insta handle.

“These are scams. Please do not click or invest,” it further said.

The Congress MP also asked the people to block such posts at the first instance and also report them to the relevant authorities for suitable action.

Such scams using deepfake and AI-generated videos of famous personalities have mushroomed in the past few years, making many gullible investors prone to huge financial losses.

A deepfake video is made by using AI to simulate a person’s face and voice, making it a facsimile copy of the target.

The scammers distort and misuse the cutting-edge technology to generate misleading videos, featuring unauthorised images of prominent figures and then try to rob people of their money.

In the recent past, deepfake videos of industrialists like Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and Reliance’s Mukesh Ambani also surfaced, where the online scammers and fraudsters used AI-doctored videos to lure citizens into fraudulent investment traps, leading to huge losses to investors.

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Crime

Gujarat courts deliver 1,785 POCSO verdicts in five years; 908 get life term

Published

16 hours ago

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September 10, 2026

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Gandhinagar, Sep 10: Gujarat courts have delivered 1,785 verdicts in cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act between 2022 and August 2026, with 908 accused sentenced to life imprisonment and 16 handed death sentences, according to figures released by the state government.

The pace of proceedings has also strengthened, with police filing chargesheets in most POCSO cases within 45 days and fast-track courts taking up cases for early trial.

In one recent case in Kalol, a Special POCSO Court sentenced a 42-year-old man to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life within 72 hours of the police filing the chargesheet in connection with the alleged abduction and sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl.

The number of judgments rose from 194 in 2022 to 499 in 2025. In the first eight months of 2026, courts have already delivered 346 judgments, including 241 life sentences and two death sentences.

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said the state had adopted a “zero-tolerance” approach towards sexual offences against children and is working to ensure that victims and their families did not have to wait for years for justice.

“There can be no mercy or leniency for anyone who casts an evil eye on girls in Gujarat. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the state government has established fast-track courts and a robust legal framework for POCSO cases. As a result, victims and their families are now receiving speedy justice—not in months or years, but within a matter of days,” Sanghavi said.

Referring to the Kalol case, he said the verdict within 72 hours of the filing of the chargesheet reflected the quality of investigation by the Gujarat Police and the approach of the judiciary.

“Reaching a verdict within just 72 hours of the filing of a chargesheet is the result of the excellent and scientific investigation carried out by the Gujarat Police and the strict and commendable approach of the judiciary. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Gujarat Police and the judiciary. Our clear resolve is to ensure that such offenders receive the strictest possible punishment, setting a strong example for society,” he said.

Director General of Police (DGP), G.S. Malik, said investigations into POCSO cases are being conducted with sensitivity while maintaining speed and strictness.

“To ensure speedy justice for victims and their families, the police are particularly focussing on a three-pronged approach of ‘thorough investigation, strict action and speedy justice’ during the investigation process,” Malik said.

According to the police, each POCSO case is being monitored to ensure that chargesheets are filed promptly and cases are transferred to fast-track courts without unnecessary delay.

Over the past five years, chargesheets were filed within one to 15 days in 140 POCSO cases, while investigations were completed within 16 to 30 days in 1,339 cases.

Another 5,463 cases saw chargesheets filed within 31 to 45 days.

The figures indicate that a large majority of POCSO investigations are being completed within the 45-day period, allowing trials to commence sooner and courts to decide cases at a faster pace.

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