Nagpur: Notorious gaming fraudster Ananth, alias Sontu Navratan Jain, who is said to be owner of cash and gold worth Rs 32 crore and immovable property worth Rs 150 crore, has been found to have declared a meagre income of just Rs 16 lakh in his Income Tax Returns (ITR), despite amassing wealth amounting to crores of rupees through his online gaming activities.
The information came to light after Nagpur police filed an affidavit in the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court for the hearing of Sontu Jain’s anticipatory bail application. Just five years ago, Sontu Jain was a ‘Jalebi’ vendor near his cloth shop in Gondia. However, he managed to accumulate immense wealth over the past five years through illegal activities.
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Friday 07March 2025
According to police sources, Sontu Jain had amassed significant wealth through his illegal gaming platform. The full extent of his fortune was discovered only when the police conducted a raid on Sontu Jain’s residence in Gondia on July 22. During the raid, the police had seized a staggering Rs 17 crore in cash, 14 kg of gold, and 294 kg of silver, with a combined estimated worth of Rs 27 crore. This operation by the city police exposed the vast hidden wealth of Sontu. Further investigations revealed more hidden assets. On August 2, the police had discovered Rs 85 lakh in cash and gold valued at over Rs 4.5crore in bank lockers belonging to Sontu Jain and his family members.
Most concerning fact is Sontu Jain’s persistent efforts to conceal his illegal assets. He consistently filed ITRs claiming an income of just Rs 16 lakh per year for the past five years. However, evidence pointed to his huge wealth. One alarming revelation was his purchase of land from a businessperson of Gondia, for which he paid an advance of Rs 31 crore. The businessperson was summoned for questioning by the police last month.
However, he went into hiding after receiving notices from Nagpur police. Another suspicious deal involved a party of four persons in Gondia who entered into an agreement to sell 65,000 square feet of land to Sontu Jain. The land was initially purchased by these persons at Rs 3,250 per square feet and then resold to Sontu at a higher rate of Rs 4,000 per square feet.
