A major steel transportation fraud linked to the Samruddhi Expressway project has come to light which exposed a well-planned racket. The scam involved manipulation of weighbridge data for systematic theft of tonnes of steel from trailers during transit from Steel Authority of India’s (SAIL) Butibori unit to Parbhani. Following the revelation, a team of Parbhani police rushed to Nagpur to investigate the case. During their visit, the team inspected several locations across the city, including the premises of the main suspect, Balaji Enterprises, a trailer supply company believed to be at the centre of the fraud. The case came to light after a complaint by Udit Rakesh Jain (40), Assistant Administrative Manager of PNRC Infotech Limited, a company working on the Jalna–Nanded stretch of the expressway under MSRDC. Based on his complaint, a team of Parbhani Police rushed to Nagpur and began inspecting multiple locations, including Balaji Enterprises in Kapsi on Bhandara Road - a trailer supply company allegedly at the centre of the racket.

 

According to investigating officer API Sudhakar Khaje, the steel was supplied by SAIL, Butibori, and transportation was officially assigned to Sunita Road Carriers. However, the actual logistics were handled by Balaji Enterprises at Kapsi, Bhandara Road, Nagpur, run by Ramdev Choudhary and Sumit Swami from Nagpur. Since June 29, 2025, nearly 80 consignments of steel had been transported through this chain. Police investigation revealed that the fraud worked through a clever combination of digital tampering and physical theft. “The accused used electronic devices to manipulate the digital weighbridge readings. This allowed them to show higher weight at dispatch, while actually transporting less steel,” said a police officer. The missing steel, officials suspect, was siphoned off during transit and sold in the local market through illegal channels. “This was not a one-time act. It appears to be a continuous racket involving transporters, drivers, and possibly insiders at the weighbridge,” the officer added. The scam was exposed on March 15, 2026, when three trailers reached the Parbhani plant. During verification, officials found massive shortages - 11.34 tonnes missing from one truck (GJ-05/BZ-0871) and 8.84 tonnes from another (MH-40/CM-7007). The third vehicle driver fled without allowing inspection, raising further suspicion.

 

“When questioned, all three drivers escaped from the spot. This clearly indicates prior knowledge and involvement in the fraud,” said a police officer involved in the probe. Soon after, two representatives linked to the transport network - Raghav Chaudhary and M D Hussain alias Golu - reached the site and allegedly tried to settle the matter. “They attempted to pressure company officials and even tried to take away the vehicles. This behaviour strengthened our suspicion of an organised racket,” police said. Officials estimate that the fraud caused a loss of over Rs 10 lakh in a single day. However, with nearly 80 consignments already transported, the total loss could run into crores. Police are now examining past records, CCTV footage, GPS logs, and weighbridge data in Nagpur to trace the full extent of the scam. “We are also probing the role of internal staff, including weighbridge operators. No angle is being ruled out,” the official stated. The investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are likely as police unravel what could be one of the biggest steel transport frauds linked to a major infrastructure project.