The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) conducted raids at two locations in Maharashtra’s Nagpur, which led to the seizure of unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 1.95 crore and the freezing of bank balances worth more than Rs 40 lakh, officials said on Saturday.

The search operations were conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on October 26 at two locations in Nagpur linked to Shashank Govind Prasad Pandey, proprietor of M/s Prayag Developers & Builders, an ED statement said.

“The searches led to the seizure of voluminous incriminating documents/records, digital devices, as well as unaccounted cash amounting to a total of Rs 1.95 crore and freezing of bank balances worth more than Rs 40 lakh. The search operations also resulted in the identification of several immovable properties, collectively valued at crores of rupees, suspected to have been acquired from the Proceeds of Crime,” the officials added.

According to officials, the ED investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered at Ajni Police Station in Nagpur City, and Ranapratapnagar Police Station in Nagpur, for offences under Sections 418 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

“Investigation has revealed that Shashank Govindprasad Pandey is engaged in a series of fraudulent activities, causing wrongful loss to several innocent persons,” officials said.

They mentioned that in one instance, Pandey entered into a development agreement in respect of land owned by a senior citizen widow, under which he was obligated to pay Rs 1.75 crore and allot 14 residential flats to the complainant.

“Although the flats had been earmarked in her favour through a Declaration-cum-Correction Deed, the accused fraudulently cancelled the said deed without her knowledge or consent and subsequently sold the earmarked flats to third parties,” the officials said.

They mentioned that the sale proceeds, amounting to Rs 8.93 crore, were misappropriated and siphoned off for his personal gain. Additionally, an amount of Rs 45 lakh payable under the development agreement was withheld, resulting in an aggregate wrongful loss of Rs 9.4 crore to the complainant.

In another case relating to the project Divya Prayag Apartment, the ED officials said that the investigation revealed that 22 flats had been mortgaged to Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited (DHFL) against a project loan of Rs 22 crores, out of which Rs 11 crore was disbursed.

“Pandey sold the mortgaged flats without obtaining the requisite No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the lender or disclosing the subsisting mortgage to the purchasers. He also allegedly submitted a false affidavit to the bank in connection with a home loan, concealing the existing mortgage,” they said.

Subsequently, according to the ED, outstanding dues amounting to Rs 12.84 crore were reported, and proceedings under the SARFAESI Act were initiated.

“The concealment and misrepresentation are suspected to have resulted in wrongful loss to the flat purchasers and corresponding wrongful gain to the accused,” officials said.

An investigation is underway, and further details are awaited.

The Mumbai Crime Branch, investigating the attack on Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff, has reportedly uncovered details suggesting that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang was attempting to establish its dominance in Mumbai by challenging the long-standing influence and fear associated with Dawood Ibrahim and the D-Company.

According to the Mumbai Police’s investigation, the gang’s alleged objective behind its continued activities in Mumbai was to establish a one-sided dominance in the city. Police sources said the gang was seeking to create an atmosphere of fear reminiscent of the underworld’s influence in Mumbai during the 1990s.

A senior Mumbai Police official said the gang intended to recreate the kind of terror once associated with the underworld, when a single phone call could send businessmen, builders and film personalities into a state of panic.

The Crime Branch believes that establishing such dominance could enable the gang to expand its alleged extortion network and demand large sums of money from builders and members of the Bollywood industry.

Police have so far arrested 12 people in connection with the firing at Tiger Shroff’s car. During the investigation, the Crime Branch reportedly recovered several sensitive audio clips in which alleged underworld figures are mentioned.

The audio recordings are currently undergoing forensic examination as investigators attempt to establish the extent of the gang’s network and identify those allegedly involved in planning and executing criminal activities.

Investigating agencies believe that the Bishnoi gang was attempting to gain greater control over Mumbai’s criminal network by directly challenging the city’s traditional underworld syndicates.

The police have launched a crackdown as part of efforts to dismantle the alleged network and prevent further criminal activities. Investigators are also examining the recovered evidence to determine whether the firing incident was part of a broader strategy to spread fear and establish the gang’s presence in Mumbai.

Further investigation into the case is underway.

A 15-year-old minor girl was brutally gang-raped in Mumbai Powai area by six men, officials said on Saturday, adding that all accused have been arrested within 24 hours of the incident.

“Within just 24 hours of receiving the victim’s complaint, Mumbai Police teams conducted raids at various locations and apprehended all the accused,” officials said.

According to the police, the incident took place between October 27 and 28.

The main accused, along with four of his associates, lured the minor to an open, deserted plot located behind a bakery shop on Saki Vihar Road, where the accused allegedly sexually assaulted the victim, officials said in a statement.

Following the incident, the perpetrators threatened the victim, warning her that if she reported the matter to the police or her family, they would circulate her photographs on social media.

“In a separate, related incident, another accused intercepted the victim near a pipeline in Powai, where he molested and sexually harassed her,” officials said.

After facing the brutal assault, on the morning of October 29, the traumatised victim, with the help of her family, reached the Powai Police Station and recounted the ordeal, according to the officials.

“Recognising the gravity of the situation, the police immediately registered an FIR under Sections 64(1) and 74 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Additionally, charges under Sections 4, 8, and 12 of the POCSO Act have been invoked,” police said.

According to the investigators, none of the six arrested individuals has a prior criminal record.

Meanwhile, the victim has been sent to KEM Hospital in Mumbai for a medical examination.

“A thorough investigation into the case is currently underway under the supervision of senior police personnel,” officials said.

Further details are awaited.