Nagpur: Former Corporator and Congress leader Ravindra alias Chhotu Prabhakar Bhoyar was arrested by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW ) of Nagpur Police on Wednesday in connection with a scam of Rs 3.41 crore in the Poonam Urban Credit Cooperative Society, Reshimbagh, a report in a local daily said.
The case dates back to July 2, 2019, when Harshvardhan Shravan Jhanjhad filed a complaint with Sakkardara police. A case of fraud was registered against multiple members of the Society’s Board of Directors, including Chairman Arun Laxmanrao Phaltankar and members Chandrakant Ajabrao Bihare, Priyadarshan Narayanrao Mandlekar, Ramdas Samarth, Raju Rambhau Ghatole, Madhukar Gopalrao Dhawad, Sangeeta Anil Shahu, Subhash Shukla, Prasad Prabhakar Agnihotri and Manager Nisha Jagnade.
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Tuesday 21 Jan. 2025
According to the complaint, the accused promised six percent interest on Fixed Deposits (FD) for a Rs 1 lakh investment. Many people invested in the scheme. However, after the FD matured, the investors did not get their promised returns. As a result, Jhanjhad and several others, who had collectively invested nearly Rs 50 lakh, lodged a complaint with the police.
During the investigation, Phaltankar, Bihare, Mandlekar, Ghatole, and Agnihotri were arrested by the police. The rest of the accused obtained pre-arrest bail. The case took a new turn when Sunil Dahaghan, an auditor of the Cooperative Society, conducted an audit of the transactions since 2010. His report revealed irregularities. This led to a formal complaint with the EOW on July 12, 2023. Adv Raman Senad, the current President of the Society, lodged another complaint on July 24, 2024 alleging fraud committed by the ex-Board members.
According to the report, preliminary investigations revealed that Chhotu Bhoyar, who served as the President of the Society from 2010 to 2015, had approved 26 loans during his tenure. It was found that fraudulent loans worth Rs 33 lakh were sanctioned using fake documentation during his tenure. As Bhoyar’s involvement in this scam became clearer, the EOW took action against him.
Under the guidance of EOW’s DCP Shashikant Satav, API Rizwan Sheikh arrested Bhoyar on Wednesday morning from his residence. The police produced him in the court and obtained his police custody till January 25.
Nagpur man booked for duping Chandrapur’s Anand Nagari Sahakari Bank
In another incident, a man from Nagpur duped Chandrapur’s Anand Nagari Sahakari Bank’s Sonegaon branch of Rs 39 lakh. Sonegaon Police have booked Uttam Yashwantrao Borkar (40), a resident of Tulshibagh, Mahal, for the fraud.
According to police, the case was registered following a complaint by Yogesh Ramesh Katore, the Bank Manager (35), from Warora, Chandrapur. According to the complaint, the accused Borkar had opened an overdraft account in 2016 in the name of Om Bhavani Construction. He later applied for a loan of Rs 50 lakh from the bank and mortgaged a flat at Sai Apartment, Bhapkar Wada in Mahal, Nagpur.
The Bank approved the loan, and Borkar deposited Rs 10 lakh. However, Borkar failed to repay the remaining amount. Upon inspection, the Bank officials discovered that Borkar had sold the mortgaged flat to others. As a result, the Bank Manager filed a complaint with the Sonegaon police and the case was registered. Further investigations are underway.
