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Torres Jewellery Ponzi Scheme: Bombay HC Orders Police Protection For Whistleblower Abhishek Gupta Who Exposed ₹1000 Crore Fraud

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Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the Commissioner of Mumbai Police to provide protection to Mumbai-based chartered accountant Abhishek Gupta, 31, who claims to have exposed the Rs 1000 crore Torres Jewellery fraud, after being informed that the police are still verifying whether there is any threat perception to Gupta. The jewellery chain is accused of defrauding over 1.25 lakh investors of Rs 1,000 crore across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

A bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Neela Gokhale also expressed “shock” over the manner in which the Mumbai police and “specialised agency” Economic Offence Wing (EOW) dragged their feet in the probe thereby giving opportunity to the foreign national accused to flee. “We are shocked at the manner in which the investigation is progressing… Somewhere, the police are responsible. They had so much information,” the bench remarked.

Gupta, who audited the accounts of Platinum Hern Pvt Ltd, the parent entity behind Torres, alleged that he is a “vulnerable witness” at risk of being eliminated by those behind the scam. He claimed that two of the company’s directors Sarvesh Surve and Taufiq Riaz (alias John Carter); and an employee Laxmi Yadav had warned the police about the alleged scam way back in June 2024. However, the police took cognisance only on January 2.

Gupta’s advocate, Ranjit Sangle, informed the court that the petitioner received threats on messenger app, Telegram, and that his photos are being circulated in Tilak Nagar, falsely identifying him as a wanted accused. “I received a photo of myself sitting in a Deputy Commissioner’s office, which is being shared to mislead people,” Gupta said.

On a court query, State’s advocate Prajakta Shinde said they were awaiting a report on threat perception to Gupta. The court said, “Till then, we will direct you to grant police protection. Someone is exposing your fault. You are lax in your actions.” It also emphasized the importance of protecting whistleblowers, cautioning, “If someone is giving you all this information, don’t make them a scapegoat.”

While the EOW has arrested three directors, including Sarvesh Surve, Tania Kastova, and Valentina Kumar, the Ukrainian nationals John Carter and Victoria Kovalenko remain at large. The EOW admitted that Lookout Circulars (LOCs) were issued only on January 10, four days after an FIR was registered on January 6.

The EOw claimed that they have taken steps to recover the amounts from the accused, and have managed to recover Rs 25 crore, to this, the bench quipped: “That is not even one percent of scam,” while asking the police to apprehend the accused.

When informed that the accused have similar cases pending against them in Turkey and Ukraine, the bench said that under which circumstances they were unlikely to flee to Ukraine. “Have you found out whether they have left the country?” the bench asked.

The bench also criticized the agency for failing to secure crucial evidence such as CCTV footage. “This is a specialized agency. We expect promptness; otherwise, the accused will flee. Obtain CCTV footage from the company’s offices, hotels where the accused stayed, and the Police Commissioner’s office,” it ordered.

The court summoned the Assistant Commissioner of Police via video conference on January 22 and directed officers from Shivaji Park, APMC, and Navghar police stations to remain present at the next hearing.

“Because you can’t find somebody, don’t make someone else a scapegoat. You must ensure prompt and proper investigation,” the court concluded.

The scheme, masterminded by foreign nationals, offered investors exorbitant returns of 4% to 10% per week and annual profits of up to 520%. The scam unraveled when investors protested outside a Torres store in Dadar, demanding their refunds.

The EOW has taken over the investigation and registered an FIR under the Maharashtra Protection of Depositors Act and other laws. While three directors—Sarvesh Surve, Tania Kastova, and Valentina Kumar—have been arrested, Ukrainian nationals John Carter and Victoria Kovalenko have fled the country. Lookout Circulars (LOCs) have been issued for their arrest.

National

Ravindra Chavan, Trusted Lieutenant Of Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Appointed BJP State Unit President

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Mumbai: Ravindra Chavan, known as a trusted lieutenant of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, will take over as BJP’s state unit president on Tuesday.

The incumbent, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, will hand over charge at a party conclave in Mumbai. The mantle is being handed to Chavan, whose grassroots planning ensured BJP’s impressive electoral performance in Thane and the Konkan belt, with an eye on the coming elections to the local bodies, according to party sources.

Chavan was the only candidate who filed his nomination papers on Monday at BJP state headquarters in the presence of Fadnavis, Bawankule and the party’s Maharashtra in-charge Arun Singh. Union minister Kiren Rijiju was present as the central observer.

Chavan represents Dombivali for the fourth term in the Assembly. He was a member of the Fadnavis cabinet between 2014 and 2019 and the Eknath Shinde-led government from 2022 to 2024. There was speculation of his elevation to the key party post started when he was denied a Cabinet berth after last year’s Assembly elections. He has been officiating as the working president of the state unit for the last few months.

The BJP is eyeing maximum number of municipal bodies in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) comprising 8 municipal corporations. With the elevation of Chavan, known for his aggressive politics, BJP seems to be sending out a message to deputy CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, which is likely to ask for lion’s share of seats for the civic polls. As an experienced leader, Chavan will shoulder his responsibilities with vigour and strength, Fadnavis asserted.

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National

Hyderabad Chemical Factory Blast: Death Toll Rises To 32 After 15 Succumb Overnight

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Hyderabad: The death toll in the explosion in a pharmaceutical unit at Pashamylaram near Hyderabad rose sharply to 32 on Tuesday, with about 15 injured succumbing at hospitals overnight.

The death toll in the worst industrial disaster in Telangana may go up further as the rescue workers continued searching for the bodies in the debris of a three-storey building, which collapsed under the impact of the blast.

A massive explosion had rocked Sigachi Industries Limited’s pharmaceutical factory at Pashamylaram industrial area in Sangareddy district, about 50 km from Hyderabad, on Monday morning.

The explosion in the Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) drying unit also left 35 workers injured. The condition of 11 of them is stated to be critical.

According to officials, 27 workers were still missing. They were feared trapped under the debris.

Personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), Revenue and police continued clearing debris.

The majority of the victims were migrant workers from states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.

As many as 108 workers were at the factory at the time of the blast, which could be heard about five km away. The explosion triggered a huge fire, and 15 fire engines were used to douse the flames.

According to eye-witnesses, such was the impact of the explosion that workers were tossed in the air and fell several meters away.

As the bodies of some victims were blown to pieces or charred beyond recognition, the authorities were conducting DNA tests to establish their identity.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will be visiting the accident site on Tuesday. He will also call on the injured at a government hospital.

Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha told media persons at the spot on Monday that the cause of the explosion was not yet known. The company, which is 40-45 years old, manufactures Microcrystalline Cellulose, he said.

Labour Minister G. Vivek said prima facie it was not a reactor blast. Some problem in the air dryer system is believed to have resulted in the explosion and fire.

The state government appointed a high-powered committee to probe the disaster and its underlying causes.

The committer comprises the Chief Secretary, Special Chief Secretary (Disaster Management), Principal Secretary (Labour), Principal Secretary (Health) and Additional DGP (Fire Services).

According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the panel would also make recommendations to prevent the recurrence of such accidents.

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National

Maha govt tables bill to set up Gadchiroli district mining authority

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Mumbai, June 30: The Maharashtra government on Monday tabled the bill for the establishment of the 16-member Gadchiroli District Mining Authority for the coordination and supervision of orderly and rapid development of the mineral-bearing area and execution of plans and projects.

The authority will be headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the Gadchiroli district guardian minister. The government’s move is important as it hopes to finish the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and develop Gadchiroli as the next steel city of India.

The district is endowed with abundant minerals such as iron ore, hematite, magnetite, BHQ, limestone, Dolomites and coal, which are used as raw materials for various manufacturing industries.

Further, Gadchiroli district, which is rich in iron ore, has the potential to be developed as a hub for mineral-based industries, especially the steel industry, said the bill.

“Currently, the absence of an integrated administrative mechanism hampers the swift execution of the mining project. Hence a need was felt for the establishment of a unified authority comprising of certain ministers and secretaries of the relevant departments under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister to expedite mining approvals and foster the growth of mineral based industries such as steel and cement, thereby accelerating the holistic development of the Gadchiroli district and consequently of the state,” said the bill.

It pointed out that the authority will act as a catalyst in speeding up the process of operationalisation of approved mining leases, and will also generate employment in the district and boost the revenue of the state.

According to the bill, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, and rules framed thereunder govern the development and regulation of mines and minerals. The major mineral blocks are auctioned following the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015. The mining concession holder is required to obtain various clearances and no-objection certificates from various departments and district officers of the government and local authorities within the timelines prescribed in the rules.

If the bidder fails to meet the prescribed timeline, the alloyed major mineral blocks will have to be auctioned again.

The Chief Minister last week at the industry conference said, “Gadchiroli 10 years ago was zero industrial area, nobody thought that it would become an Industrial magnet. Due to a slew of policies, Gadchiroli is becoming a new steel city of India to produce one-third of India’s steel that will change the entire outlook of the district.”

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