The credibility of the Madhya Pradesh Police has once again come under severe scrutiny following major action taken in the alleged theft of Rs 1.45 crore in Hawala money in the Seoni district. Director General of Police (DGP) Kailash Makwana has, with immediate effect, suspended Seoni Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDOP) Pooja Pandey. The suspension order explicitly cites her ‘prima facie suspicious conduct’ in the case. In this high-profile incident, a total of 10 police personnel, including SDOP Pooja Pandey and Bandol Station

 

House Officer (TI) Arpit Bhairam, have faced action so far. The incident occurred late on the night of October 8, on NH-44 near the Shiladehi by-pass in the Bandol police station area of Seoni district. The police had received a tip-off that a large sum of Hawala money was being transported in a car travelling from Katni to Jalna in Maharashtra. A team led by SDOP Pooja Pandey intercepted the car, which was carrying Sohanlal Parmar and his associates. The police team officially recorded the seizure of Rs 1.45 crore in cash during the car search. However, the aggrieved party later claimed that the car was actually carrying a total of Rs 2.96 crore in Hawala money.

 

It is alleged that the police personnel assaulted and intimidated the car occupants and pocketed a large portion of the remaining cash. The police are accused of officially recording only Rs 1.45 crore, while the rest of the amount was allegedly divided among themselves. DGP Takes Strict Cognisance: The day after the incident, on October 9, the victims filed a written complaint with Seoni Superintendent of Police (SP) Sunil Mehta, creating a stir within the Police Department. SP Sunil Mehta and Jabalpur Inspector General (IG) Pramod Verma took swift cognisance. Following an initial inquiry, IG Verma suspended Bandol

 

TI Arpit Bhairam along with nine other police personnel and instructed SP Ayush Gupta to submit a detailed report within three days. The role of SDOP Pooja Pandey was found to be highly suspicious during the subsequent investigation. Following this, on October 10, DGP Kailash Makwana intervened directly, issuing the order for her immediate suspension. The DGP’s order clearly states that the SDOP displayed ‘gross misconduct’ regarding the amount seized during the checking.