10 Seoni cops suspended for pocketing Rs 1.5 crore from seized Hawala cash

 

 

 

 

Bandol Sub-Divisional Officer (SDOP) and Station House Officer (SHO) of Seoni have been accused of stealing Rs 1.5 crore of the seized hawala money. The officers allegedly seized approximately Rs 3 crore from a Nagpur resident, but the seizure report showed only Rs 1.45 crore. Furthermore, the accused was released without any action. Senior officers were not even informed about this. After the incident came to light on Friday, IG Pramod Verma suspended nine police officers, including Station House Officer (SHO) Arpit Bhairam, on Thursday night.

 

DGP Kailash Makwana also suspended SDOP Pooja Pandey. Jabalpur ASP Ayush Gupta has been entrusted with the investigation. Sohan Parmar, a resident of Nagpur, filed a complaint in this regard. The complaint stated that on Wednesday night, he was travelling from Katni to Jalna, Maharashtra, by car carrying Rs 2,00,96,500 belonging to a bullion trader. At night, SDOP Pooja Pandey and Bandol Police Station In-charge, Arpit Bhairam stopped a vehicle near Sheela Devi village in Lakhanwara police station area under the guise of an investigation. They confiscated a bag full of money. They kept the vehicle at the police station.

 

They released it on Thursday morning without taking any action. When the owner in Nagpur was informed, he also came. Subsequently, they showed that the seizure amounted to be Rs 1.45 crore. It is alleged that the officers embezzled approximately Rs 1.5 crore. This is how the case came to light. Police did not inform the Superintendent of Police (SP) and other senior officers about the seizure until Friday morning. No action was taken until evening. The media learned of this incident in the evening.

 

When asked, the SDOP initially refused to provide any information, but later stated that an investigation was underway. ASP Deepak Mishra was informed about the case. He came to the SDOP’s office that evening and started the investigation. He also informed SP Sunil Kumar Mehta and IG Pramod Verma. Following this, the IG ordered the suspension of nine police officers. A police team has also gone to investigate the spot in the forest where the vehicle was seized on Friday. It is suspected that some money may have been left there.

 

Action taken against these policemen includes Arpit Bhairam, Sub-Inspector and Station House Officer, Bandol, Seoni, Makhan, Head Constable 203, SDOP Office, Seoni, Ravinder Uike, Head Constable 447, Reader, SDOP Office, Seoni, Jagdish Yadav, Constable 803, SDOP Office, Seoni, Yogendra Chourasia, Constable 306, SDOP Office, Seoni, Ritesh, Constable 582, Driver, SDOP Office, Seoni, Neeraj Rajput, Constable 750, Bandol Police Station, Seoni, Kedar, Constable 610, Gunman, SDOP, Seoni, Sadaphal, Constable 85, Gunman SDOP, Seoni.Seoni SP Sunil Kumar Mehta stated that Rs 1.45 crore was found in the car. The matter is being investigated. The Inspector General has sought a report within three days.