Pune, July 25: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Pune Police has extradited and arrested Avinash Arjun Rathod, the mastermind behind a Rs 88 crore investment fraud case, from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after completing the required international legal procedures.

Rathod is accused of duping investors of nearly Rs 88 crore by luring them with promises of unusually high returns.

According to officials, Rathod had been absconding for a prolonged period, prompting investigating agencies to initiate legal proceedings at the international level.

A Red Corner Notice had been issued against him, following which he was traced and detained by authorities in the UAE.

After being brought back to India, Rathod was formally arrested by the Pune Police’s Economic Offences Wing at Mumbai International Airport before being taken to Pune.

He was subsequently produced before a court, which remanded him to 10 days of police custody for detailed interrogation.

Police said the case was originally registered at Chatushringi Police Station in Pune in 2023 under Crime No. 281/2023. The FIR invoked Sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, banker, merchant or agent) and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, along with Sections 3 and 4 of the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (MPID) Act.

The complaint was lodged on April 20, 2023, following which the investigation was transferred to the Economic Offences Wing of Pune City Police.

During the course of the investigation, police found that Avinash Arjun Rathod, director of Baner-based APS Wealth Ventures LLP, along with his wife, Vishakha Avinash Rathod, allegedly induced investors to deposit money by assuring them of attractive and high returns within a short period.

Although formal investment agreements were executed with investors, the promised returns were allegedly never paid and the invested amounts were not refunded.

According to investigators, the complainant alone had invested Rs 86,37,500 in the company, which was allegedly never returned. As the probe progressed, investigators found that the alleged fraud extended far beyond a single investor, with a large number of people being persuaded to invest in similar schemes. The total alleged fraud is estimated to be around Rs 88 crore.

Soon after the case was registered, Avinash Rathod and his wife allegedly absconded. Suspecting that the duo might flee abroad, the police initiated preventive measures and issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) against both accused on April 24, 2024, to prevent them from leaving the country or facilitate their arrest upon arrival in India.

Subsequently, the Special MPID Court at Shivajinagar in Pune issued Standing Arrest Warrants against both accused under Section 70 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Proceedings under Section 82 of the CrPC to declare them Proclaimed Offenders were also initiated. Investigators later filed a chargesheet before the court, and the passports of both accused were suspended as part of the legal process.

Despite extensive searches conducted across the country, investigators were unable to trace the accused, prompting them to seek assistance from international agencies.

On June 4, 2026, a Red Corner Notice was issued against both Avinash Rathod and Vishakha Rathod. Acting on the notice, authorities in the UAE detained Avinash Rathod.

Officials said Rathod was extradited to India on July 23, 2026. Upon his arrival at Mumbai International Airport, he was formally arrested by the Pune Police’s Economic Offences Wing before being taken to Pune and produced before the court, which granted his custodial remand for 10 days.

The Economic Offences Wing has now intensified its investigation into the financial trail of the alleged fraud. Investigators are trying to ascertain how the approximately Rs 88 crore collected from investors was utilised, whether the money was diverted into properties or other assets, whether any funds were transferred abroad, and the extent of the involvement of other associates in the alleged network.

Officials believe that Rathod’s custodial interrogation could lead to significant disclosures regarding the alleged investment fraud, including details about the movement of funds and the wider network involved in the operation.

Pune Police also said efforts are underway on a priority basis to secure the return of the remaining accused, who are believed to be hiding abroad.

Investigators are maintaining close coordination with international agencies to complete the legal process for their extradition.

Mumbai, July 25: In a strongly worded editorial published in its mouthpiece Saamana on Saturday, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) launched a blistering attack on the Union government, the Delhi Police, and the judiciary.

The editorial alleged that the ruling dispensation is systematically eroding the foundational principles of the Indian Constitution while remaining indifferent to the mounting anger among students over repeated leaks of national-level examination papers.

Invoking the Preamble of the Constitution, the editorial described its opening words — “We, the People of India” — as the foundation and soul of the nation’s democratic framework, designed to guarantee social, economic, and political justice alongside liberty, equality, and fraternity. However, the editorial alleged that over the past 12 years, this constitutional ethos has been crushed.

“The four pillars of democracy stand dismantled, and the vision of ‘We, the People of India’ is mocked every single day,” the Thackeray camp asserted, adding that citizens nonetheless remain committed to safeguarding the nation’s democratic values.

The editorial focused heavily on the political fallout surrounding climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s 26-day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, which ended late Thursday night. Wangchuk broke his fast after accepting a cup of soup from Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Dr Jitendra Singh.

The editorial questioned the circumstances of the fast’s conclusion, noting that none of the protesters’ primary demands — most notably the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan — were met. Critics cited in the editorial pointed out that Wangchuk had previously been forcibly removed by security personnel behind a white sheet, detained at a hospital, and persuaded to end his fast without consulting fellow demonstrators.

Despite Wangchuk breaking his fast, student and youth groups across the country have pledged to continue their agitation, framing the movement as a broader struggle to defend national democracy against systemic corruption in education, said the editorial.

To highlight the scale of the crisis, the editorial cited figures shared by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, stating that 152 instances of exam paper leaks have taken place across India in the last decade without yielding a single conviction. This widespread failure has impacted an estimated 75 million students and their families.

In response to the demonstrations, Pradhan sparked outrage by dismissing the protesters at Jantar Mantar as “goons” rather than genuine students. Nadda accused opposition parties of politicising student grievances for electoral gains and urged that the matter be raised constructively in Parliament instead.

The Saamana editorial dismissed Nadda’s allegations, asking how political parties expressing solidarity with peaceful student protesters could be labelled as opportunistic. The Thackeray camp severely criticised the Delhi Police for using excessive force against young demonstrators, alleging that officers cracked down violently and tore the clothes of female protesters.

The editorial also directed harsh criticism toward Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, alleging that when lawyers approached the Supreme Court with an urgent petition regarding police brutality, the CJI refused to review visual evidence of the assault, cold-heartedly stating, “Do not waste time watching such assault videos; we have absolutely no interest in them.”

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena claimed that when the judiciary appears subservient to an unfeeling administration, citizens are left with no refuge for justice. Despite its grim assessment of state institutions, the editorial highlighted one positive outcome — members of the legal fraternity at the Supreme Court openly declared their solidarity with the demonstrating students.

Lawyers gathered on the Supreme Court premises to register their protest by reading aloud the Preamble of the Constitution.

The editorial concluded with a call to action, reinforcing that even as state machinery fails, the citizens of India will remain steadfast in protecting their constitutional heritage.

New Delhi, July 25: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday said he met students who observed a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar during the ongoing protest over the paper leaks and examination irregularities, asserting that they would not withdraw from the agitation despite “detentions or threats” from the government.

Addressing reporters after meeting the protesters, LoP Rahul Gandhi said the students had placed three “non-negotiable demands” before the government — the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, action against those responsible for the lathi-charge on protesters, and an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Elaborating on the students’ demands, Rahul Gandhi said the first and foremost requirement was the removal of the Education Minister from the Union Cabinet.

“There are three non-negotiable demands — first, the Education Minister, who is corrupt, incompetent, and misaligned, has to be sacked. There is some talk going on in Mr Modi’s Cabinet that the solution is to move Mr Dharmendra Pradhan to some other Ministry; this is not acceptable to the students of India or anybody.

“The reason is Mr Pradhan is a symbol of corruption and of what has happened to the future of India’s children; he is a symbol of the destruction of the most valuable thing this country has, which is our students and their future,” LoP Gandhi said.

Reiterating his stand, the Congress leader added, “There is going to be no conversation of Mr Dharmendra Pradhan being moved anywhere… Mr Dharmendra Pradhan has to be sacked. Period.”

LoP Gandhi also criticised the police action against the protesters, stating that many students had suffered injuries during the demonstrations and calling for accountability from those responsible.

“There are thousands and thousands of youngsters who have had lathis break their heads and legs; pellets in their bodies. The organisers and implementors need to be punished and made accountable,” he said.

Referring to Prime Minister Modi, LoP Gandhi further said, “The third thing is the leader of the entire machinery who is doing this — Mr Narendra Modi — has to apologise for what he has done to the students and the future of this country.”

The Lok Sabha LoP also reacted to notices issued by several Delhi-based universities, including Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, advising students against participating in the ongoing protests.

Claiming that the system was attempting to discourage students from continuing their agitation, Gandhi said he had assured them that they should not be intimidated by administrative action or threats.

“This is all the system that is attacking them (students). I told them, do not worry. No amount of strength… The entire Indian government, every single person from the Indian government, cannot remove you from there,” he said.

He asserted that the students would continue their agitation despite any attempts to stop them.

“Do whatever you want; detain, threaten, but we will not back off. They (the students) will not back off. They are the future of India; no one can fight them. Narendra Modi is India’s past, and the past cannot fight the future,” LoP Gandhi added.