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Jet Airways Defrauding Case: Naresh Goyal Questioned By ED

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Naresh Goyal, the founder of Jet Airways, is being questioned several hours by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai for allegedly defrauding Canara Bank of ₹538 crore. The ED officials are inquiring about alleged account irregularities, the diversion of a portion of the loan amount to related companies as commission, and money laundering. They are also asking about seized documents related to funds transactions.

The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches in July 2023 at eight locations in Mumbai and Delhi as part of a money laundering case worth ₹538 crore. This case involves Naresh Goyal and others. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is already investigating a case against Goyal. The ED’s money laundering case is based on an FIR filed by the CBI, which accuses Goyal and others of defrauding Canara Bank of ₹538 crore.

CBI filed charges against Naresh Goyal

FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Goyal on complaint of Canara Bank chief general manager, recovery and legal section, alleging criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and criminal misconduct causing the bank a wrongful loss of ₹538.62 crore.

According to Canara Bank, they had sanctioned a credit limit facility to Jet Airways, but the airline defrauded the bank of ₹538.62 crore. The bank alleges that it had provided credit limits and loans amounting to ₹848.86 crore to Jet Airways, with ₹538.62 crore outstanding. The airline diverted a portion of the loan to related companies as commissions.

A forensic audit of the company revealed fraudulent transactions involving fund diversion from the loan amount. Expenses listed as paid commissions to related companies actually included costs related to the Goyal family and other individuals involved in the scam. The airline had reported spending ₹11,152.62 crore on professional and consultancy expenses, with ₹197.57 crore of those transactions deemed suspicious during the investigation into the company’s financial records from April 1, 2011, to June 30, 2019. These entities had turnovers similar to the expense amounts recorded by Jet Airways under the guise of professional and consultancy expenses.

Jet Airways dealing with Canara Bank since 2005

According to the complaint, Jet Airways (India) Ltd (JIL)promoted by Tail Winds Ltd, an overseas company owned by Goyal and his associates, had been dealing with Canara Bank since 2005 and since August 2018 claiming liquidity and operational issues, the accounts turned NPA in 2019.

A forensic audit conducted by EY revealed that JIL had paid ₹1,410.41 crore to related parties of total commission expenses. The expenses of general selling agents (GSA) were paid by JIL amounting to ₹403.27 crore, which was not in tune with the GSA agreement.

The complaint also alleges that funds were allegedly siphoned off through Jet Lite (India) Ltd (JLL), a subsidiary, by way of making advance and investing and subsequently writing off of the same by making provision.

Funds to the tune of ₹2,547.83 crore were allegedly transferred by JIL to JLL as loan but were never paid back. Over ₹400 crore were allegedly siphoned off through payments made to professional and consultancy expenses.

Crime

Thane Crime Branch Arrests 25-Year-Old Serial Housebreaker, Cracks 9 Theft Cases In Bhiwandi; Seizes Gold Worth ₹5.98 Lakh

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Thane: The Thane Crime Branch Unit 2 has arrested a 25-year-old habitual thief and cracked nine house break-in cases reported across Bhiwandi.

Gold Worth ₹5.98 Lakh Recovered from Accused Akash Jadhav

According to police sources, 58 grams of gold ornaments worth ₹5.98 lakh were recovered from the accused’s possession. The suspect has been identified as Akash alias Chinya Jadhav, a resident of the Manpada area in Thane.

The investigation began after an FIR was filed at Narpoli police station for a housebreaking incident involving an unidentified suspect. Crime Branch officials, along with local police, launched a joint investigation. CCTV footage and technical intelligence led to the identification of Jadhav.

A trap was laid, and the accused was apprehended. He was produced in court and remanded to police custody for further investigation.

History of Theft: 9 Cases Registered Across Four Police Stations

During questioning, police discovered that Jadhav has a history of theft, with nine cases registered against him. These include five at Narpoli, two at Bhiwandi City, one at Nizampura, and one at Shantinagar police station.

Police confirmed the recovery of stolen gold ornaments during the arrest. Further investigation is underway.

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Business

India Lost ₹22,842 Crore To Cybercriminals & Fraudsters In 2024: DataLEADS

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India lost Rs 22,842 crore to cybercriminals and fraudsters in 2024, DataLEADS, a Delhi-based media and tech company, said in its report on widespread digital financial frauds in the country. The amount stolen by digital criminals and fraudsters last year was nearly three times more than the Rs 7,465 crore in 2023 and almost 10 times more than the Rs 2,306 in 2022, DataLEADS said in ‘Contours of Cybercrime: Persistent and Emerging Risk of Online Financial Frauds and Deepfakes in India.

Prediction For Cyber-Crime Frauds

The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, I4C, a federal agency that liaises between state and central law enforcement, predicts Indians will lose over Rs 1.2 lakh crore this year. The number of cybercrime complaints has spiked similarly; nearly twenty lakh were reported in 2024, up from around 15.6 lakh the year before and ten times more than were logged in 2019.

The surge in the number of cybercrime complaints and the volume of money lost points to one inescapable conclusion – India’s digital crooks are getting smarter and more efficient, and, in a country with a staggering nearly 290 lakh unemployed people, their ranks are increasing.

Bank-related frauds have increased dramatically; the Reserve Bank of India reported a nearly eightfold jump in the first half of FY 2025/26 compared to the same period last year. And the amount of money lost was staggering – Rs 2,623 crore to Rs 21,367 crore. Private sector banks accounted for nearly 60 per cent of all such incidents. But it was customers in public sector banks who were worst-hit; they lost Rs 25,667 crore in all.

Why have these numbers jumped so much over the past three years?

Because of the increased use of digital payment modes – i.e., smartphone-enabled services like Paytm and PhonePe – and the sharing and processing of financial details online – via (what many believe are encrypted and fail-safe) messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.

Federal data says there were over 190 lakh UPI, or unified payment interface, transactions in June 2025 alone, and these were worth a combined Rs 24.03 lakh crore. Digital payments’ value has grown from roughly Rs 162 crore in 2013 to Rs 18,120.82 crore in January 2025, and India accounts for nearly half of all such payments worldwide.

COVID-19

Much of this increase can be attributed to the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns.

During COVID-19, the government pushed for a switch to UPI apps like Paytm to ensure social distancing and minimise contact with currency notes, via which the virus could be transmitted.

Digital Payment Tools In Rural Areas

The government also reasoned that digital payment tools would ensure greater penetration of financial services, particularly in rural areas. By 2019, India already had 440 million smartphone users and data rates were among the cheapest in the world – 1 GB cost Rs 200, or less than $3.

Insurance sector scams were also common. These included life, health, vehicle, and general, and are becoming an increasingly lucrative option for cybercriminals, particularly as insurance companies urge customers to opt for app-based services.

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Crime

Mumbai Drug Bust: 24-Year-Old Arrested In Byculla With Mephedrone, Charas Worth ₹3.46 Crore In Car

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Mumbai: In a major anti-drug operation, the Mumbai Police arrested a 24-year-old man in the early hours of Wednesday and recovered a large quantity of narcotics valued at over Rs 3.46 crore. The accused, identified as Sahil Junaid Ansari, a resident of Bhiwandi in Thane district, was intercepted while driving through the Byculla area of South Mumbai.

Accused Found Driving Suspiciously In Byculla Area

The incident occurred around 4 am when a team of patrolling constables, Bhabad, Bhoye and Gangurde, spotted a Maruti Ertiga car moving suspiciously near Hume Church on B.A. Road. The team flagged down the vehicle and questioned the driver about his presence at that odd hour. Ansari, however, failed to give a satisfactory response, raising the officers’ suspicions.

Alerted by constable Bhabad, night duty in-charge Police Inspector Anup Dange immediately reached the location with PSI Kolekar, PSI Asade from the Anti-Terror Cell and other detection personnel.

Details On Drugs Found In Car

A detailed search of the vehicle was conducted, during which the police found 1,710 grams of Mephedrone, commonly known as MD, concealed inside. The street value of the seized MD is estimated at Rs 3.42 crore. Additionally, 17 grams of charas worth Rs 4.5 lakh were also recovered from the car.

Police officials confirmed that Ansari has been taken into custody and booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The contraband was seized and sent for forensic examination.

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