Crime
Mumbai Firm Accused Of Defrauding Investors Of ₹2.55 Crore In Biofuel Scam; FIR Filed
Mumbai: Investors from Mumbai and rural Maharashtra were allegedly cheated of Rs 2.55 crore by Meera Clean Fuel Pvt Ltd.
As per the complaint, the company lured hundreds of persons, including farmers, entrepreneurs, and professionals, into investing in its purported bio-fuel and bio-CNG projects, promising massive returns and government-backed support.
The FIR, filed at Matunga police station, names company directors Meera Shivaji Gholap, Dr Lavesh Ramchandra Jadhav, executive director Prachi Dhole, and managing director and CEO Dr Sham Shivaji Gholap as the key accused. The complaint was lodged by a 55-year-old business consultant, Jagdish Paighan, who claims to have been personally defrauded of over Rs 1.34 crore, while investors from Yavatmal were cheated of around Rs 1.21 crore.
The accused allegedly convinced investors that shares in their firm would rise to Rs 1,000 per unit post-investment, and bio-fuel projects would be implemented at the taluka (sub-district) level. Through various webinars, meetings with district collectors, and events like World Biofuel Day, the company officials allegedly recruited locals as taluka heads and village entrepreneurs under what they claimed was a government-aligned entrepreneurship model.
The police complaint mentions how Paighan was introduced to the company in April 2018 by an acquaintance. Sanjay Kambare, who invited him to their office in Dadar (East). At the office, the walls prominently displayed images of a biofuel factory alongside photographs of Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sheila Dikshit, allegedly inaugurating the project. During the meeting, Kambare claimed that Dr Gholap was not only a subdivisional magistrate posted in Mumbai but also a qualified doctor. He claimed Dr Gholap’s affiliations with prestigious institutions and even stated that they had worked with former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s team.
Prachi Dhole was presented as a “double gold medallist” from BITS Pilani with R&D experience in Germany. They showcased images and documents related to successful bio-diesel and bio-CNG projects allegedly set up in Ratnagiri and Mumbai. The company claimed to have patented technology to produce bio-CNG from Napier elephant grass and claimed that their plant was already operational in Kolad, Raigad. To build credibility, World Biofuel Day celebrations were held at upscale venues like Sahara Star Hotel and Oberoi Hotel.
The company projected a Rs 3,000 crore turnover per taluka and investors were required to form private limited companies, acquire farmland or industrial plots, and even start local businesses at their own cost. Paighan too established RasSindhu Producer Organisation and leased five acres of land and spent approximately Rs 7 lakh to prepare the site for a bioCNG plant. However, the firm later claimed that the land was “insufficient”. So, in Umarkhed taluka, Paighan and his team spent over Rs88 lakh on land, machinery, and infrastructure.
Despite these efforts, no project ever became operational. Engineers were hired in Mumbai, Dombivli, Pusad, and Kolad, many of whom remain unpaid. When the pandemic was waning, at a meeting held at Mumbai’s Oberoi Hotel on June 30, 2021, Dr Gholap claimed that Meera Clean had enough funding to launch one project in each of India’s 5,500 talukas. He announced that 200 CNG plants would be launched by January 26, 2022, and told taluka heads to form bodies with 10,000 members each.
Despite collecting crores from investors, neither promised shares nor projects materialised. Checks issued for refunds bounced due to “stop payment” instructions. On February 14 this year, all three company offices were abruptly shut down, further raising suspicion among investors.
Crime
Rajasthan: Threat to blow up CM office, accused arrested after search

Jaipur, Aug 18: Panic gripped Jaipur on Tuesday after a threatening call claimed that a bomb had been planted at the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). The call was received at the Jaipur Control Room, prompting police and security agencies to launch an extensive search operation.
DCP (South) Rajarshi Raj reached the spot to assess the situation. Teams from the police, dog squad, Anti‑Terrorist Squad (ATS) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were deployed at the CMO. Officials said the building was thoroughly searched for around four and a half hours, but no suspicious object was found.
Meanwhile, Vidhayakpuri police traced the phone number used to make the threat and arrested the accused, identified as 38‑year‑old Lala Kothyari, a resident of Sawai Madhopur.
According to preliminary information, the accused allegedly made the threatening call while under the influence of intoxicants. Police said he is being interrogated to determine the exact motive and circumstances behind the call.
The search operation inside the CMO began around 10:30 am, following receipt of the threat. Security personnel thoroughly checked different sections of the building as a precautionary measure.
Officials recalled that this was not the first time the Rajasthan Chief Minister’s Office had received a bomb threat. On July 26, 2025, a threat was received to blow up both the CMO and Jaipur International Airport. Security agencies carried out searches at both locations, but no suspicious object was found.
Bomb threats have also repeatedly targeted the Rajasthan High Court. On July 13, 2026, the High Court administration received an email claiming six gelatin bombs had been planted, though the message stated there was no intention to harm the public.
Officials said the Jaipur Bench of the High Court had received 13 threats over eight months, including on October 31, 2025, and subsequently on December 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11. In 2026, similar threats were reported on February 6, 17, 19 and 20, followed by March 17 and April 13.
On June 16, 2025, The Palace School at Jaleb Chowk in Jaipur received a bomb threat by email. The message was noticed the following day as the school was closed when it arrived. The administration informed police, who conducted searches.
Earlier, on August 19, 2024, bomb threats were issued against Delhi Public School and Pink Square Mall in Adarsh Nagar on the same day. Security teams searched both locations for several hours, but no explosive device was found.
On June 19, 2024, Pareek School in Chandpole received an email threatening a blast. Teams from the Bomb Disposal Squad, ATS and Special Operations Group (SOG) reached the location and conducted searches.
On May 13, 2024, the anniversary of the Jaipur serial blasts, threats were issued against 56 schools under the Jaipur Commissionerate. School principals reportedly received emails claiming bombs had been planted inside their buildings.
Officials said repeated threats have prompted security agencies to maintain heightened vigilance around government offices, educational institutions and other sensitive locations across Jaipur.
Crime
Property dealer shot dead during late-night liquor party in Patna; probe underway

Patna, Aug 18: A property dealer was shot dead following an altercation among acquaintances during a late-night liquor party in Karaudichak village, under the Phulwari Sharif police station area of Patna.
The deceased has been identified as Golu Yadav. According to preliminary information, one of the youths present at the gathering allegedly opened fire, shooting Golu four times. He lost his life at the scene.
According to an official, four to five youths had gathered in an open area near a religious site in Karaudichak for a late-night liquor party.
During the gathering, an argument reportedly broke out between Golu and one of his companions over an unspecified issue.
The dispute escalated, following which one of the youths allegedly pulled out a pistol and fired four consecutive shots at Golu.
The shooting triggered panic at the spot. The accused youths reportedly fled immediately after the incident.
After receiving information, Phulwari Sharif police reached the scene and began investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing.
Police took custody of Golu’s body and sent it for post-mortem examination.
Officers are questioning local residents and conducting searches at suspected locations to trace the accused and recover the weapon allegedly used in the crime.
Investigators are also working to identify all those who were present at the gathering and establish what led to the fatal confrontation.
Golu Yadav was reportedly involved in property dealing and land transactions.
Police are examining several possible angles, but the precise motive for the killing has not yet been established.
His family said Golu had left home in the evening. When he failed to return late at night, relatives began searching for him, only to subsequently learn that he had been killed.
The incident has left Golu’s family devastated, while the shooting has created an atmosphere of fear and tension in Karaudichak village.
An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in Phulwarisharif police station, and further investigation is on.
Crime
Delhi Crime Branch busts auto-lifter network, three arrested; five stolen cars recovered

New Delhi : The Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested three alleged members of an organised auto-lifting and vehicle disposal network involved in the theft and resale of cars, recovering five stolen vehicles, 104 forged High Security Registration Plates (HSRPs) and 24 forged Registration Certificates (RCs), officials said on Monday.
According to a press release issued by the Crime Branch, the accused have been identified as Amit Nagar alias Sonu, 35, a resident of Rohini; Atom Jagat Singh, 45, of Imphal East, Manipur; and Potsangbam Mukesh Singh, 28, also from Imphal East.
The Crime Branch said the gang was allegedly operating under the leadership of Nagar and had a network extending across several states. The police said Nagar disclosed during interrogation that he had supplied more than 100 stolen high-end cars to receivers in different states across India.
“In a well-planned operation, the gang leader, Amit Nagar @ Sonu, was arrested following invocation of the MCOCA,” the Crime Branch said in its release.
The investigation began with the scrutiny of vehicle theft cases, CCTV footage and field Intelligence. On May 12, police apprehended Potsangbam Mukesh Singh from Chhatarpur Enclave Phase-II and recovered forged RCs from his possession. A subsequent search of his rented premises led to the recovery of an instrument used for fixing registration plates, 104 forged HSRPs and 22 forged RCs.
At his instance, a stolen Maruti Baleno was recovered from Wazirabad. On May 14, police arrested Atom Jagat Singh and recovered another stolen Maruti Swift from Mukherjee Nagar at his instance.
Amit Nagar was arrested on July 28, following which a stolen Maruti Swift Dzire was recovered, police said. During the investigation, the Crime Branch said it found that Nagar allegedly operated a network through associates who purchased stolen vehicles and arranged their disposal in other states.
On August 13, two more stolen vehicles, a Kia Seltos and a Hyundai Creta, were recovered from Ukhrul district in Manipur, near the Myanmar border, at the instance of Atom Jagat Singh. Police said the vehicles had been stolen in Delhi and were allegedly brought to the border area for disposal and were intended to be sold to underground groups.
The Crime Branch said the alleged syndicate used duplicate keys, electronic equipment and computer-based devices to bypass vehicle security systems and target high-end cars and SUVs. It also allegedly used forged registration documents and number plates to facilitate the resale of stolen vehicles.
The police said the accused operated through associates in states including Manipur, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Punjab, Assam and West Bengal. The investigation is continuing to identify other alleged members of the network, trace additional stolen vehicles and establish the complete chain involved in their theft, transportation and disposal.
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