Sophisticated fraud network targeted businessmen in multiple states, evaded arrest, and extorted crores in illicit gains
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In less than a year, a gang that was arrested for defrauding a real estate agent and a doctor in Goregaon by impersonating CBI officers resurfaced recently and carried out another fraudulent raid at the office of a rice mill owner from Chhattisgarh, posing as officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and looting Rs 2 crore from him.
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The police stated that the accused, currently out on bail, approached the rice mill owner in Chhattisgarh on June 27, pretending to be officials from the Enforcement Directorate. The rice mill owner managed to catch one of the gang members with the help of his house help, while the others escaped. The incident with the rice mill owner followed a similar pattern, but this time the accused claimed to be ED officials. This modus operandi was similar to what they had done last year with the real estate businessman in Goregaon, where they posed as CBI officers and made off with Rs 1.6 crore. The Mohan Nagar police station registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and the investigation has begun.
Two senior IPS officers, SP Vaibhav Bankar and Additional SP Sanjay Dhru, took charge of the investigation. During their search on Google for a similar modus operandi, they came across news reports about fake CBI officers arrested by the Goregaon police. Using the photographs published in the newspapers, they identified the culprits. With the assistance of the Goregaon police, they conducted raids in several locations in Mumbra, resulting in the arrest of Grish Walecha, Hamid Khan, Jiva Aher Nasir Khan, Mangal Patel, Kishor Chaubal, Nazir alias Sunil, Shridhar Pillai alias Abdul Hamid Sayed, and Vijay Gaikwad alias Sanjay Ahire.
During interrogation, it was discovered that Grish Walecha and Hamid Khan were the masterminds of the gang. Walecha was also wanted in a fraud case worth Rs 20 lakh by SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) and had been released on bail just five months ago.
The Chhattisgarh police, with the assistance of the Goregaon police, arrested eight individuals, two of whom were wanted in the Goregaon case as well. All the accused were presented before the court and are currently in police custody. The Chhattisgarh police are now taking all the accused on transit remand. So far, a total of nine accused individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident. "The Mumbai police is actively working to combat these crimes and raise awareness among citizens to prevent them from falling victim to such scams," said Vivek Phansalkar, Commissioner of Mumbai Police.
Gang began operations during demonetisation
According to the police, a gang of six individuals who posed as CBI officers and extorted money may have targeted numerous other businessmen. Recently, the police came across a victim from Goregaon who was persuaded to file a complaint. The fake CBI officers began their extortion business during the demonetisation period in 2016 when individuals with black money were desperate to convert their unaccounted cash into white and willing to pay a commission of 30 to 40 per cent. While the gang made crores of rupees, many victims chose not to come forward.
The Goregaon police, who arrested the alleged extortionists, stated that the gang discreetly gathered information on individuals with black money and conducted "raids" while posing as CBI officers. It has been revealed that the same gang is involved in a similar case registered in Bangalore. Each time they targeted a victim, the gang members assumed different identities. During the interrogation, it was discovered that the gang, while posing as fake CBI officers, extorted around Rs 2 crore from two businessmen in Mumbra during the demonetisation period in 2016. These incidents were never reported to the police.
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