Nagpur: The pursuit of Ananth, also known as Sontu Navratan Jain, an online gaming fraudster, has been ongoing for nearly three months. While the Nagpur police managed to take him into custody, his behaviour during his initial 24 hours in police custody has raised questions about the progress of the investigation. Sontu spent a significant portion of this time sleeping, leaving the authorities frustrated by his elusive actions.
On Monday, the court remanded Sontu to police custody. Subsequently, he was taken to the Crime Branch office at Gittikhadan, Nagpur. During a two-and-a-half-hour interrogation, Sontu provided vague responses to investigators. Following this initial questioning, he was placed in the Sadar Police Station’s lockup at 9:30 pm.
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However, it is surprising that Sontu remained in the lockup until 11:30 am the following day, sleeping for nearly 14 hours without undergoing any substantial interrogation. Sontu was then transported to the Crime Branch for further interrogation after spending an hour bathing. Media reports suggest that he remained uncooperative during questioning, attempting to divert the investigators’ attention to various unrelated matters, including fan speed, drinking water, food, and clothing.
A senior police official has emphasized that the interrogation process is crucial for uncovering the entire online gaming network operated by Sontu for several years. This network allegedly involves numerous beneficiaries. Sontu’s fraudulent online gaming network reportedly involves various individuals, with two major beneficiaries identified. Rakesh Rajkot, also known as RR, is currently hiding in the United Kingdom and is believed to have played a significant role in introducing Sontu to the world of online gaming. Naim, alias Naved, is a member of the D-gang and has provided shelter to Sontu in Dubai, leveraging his extensive network.
The investigation aims to unravel the extent of this network and its operations, with a focus on identifying and apprehending all beneficiaries involved.
Sontu, an accused of orchestrating an online gaming fraud and duping City businessman Vikrant Agrawal of Rs 58 crore, was hiding in Dubai from July 22. He later appeared before the police on September 8 when the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court granted him interim anticipatory bail with directions of attending concerned police stations on every alternate day. Even during the alternate day interrogation, Sontu had not cooperated with the police and adopted an evasive strategy by consistently responding with a simple ‘I don’t know’ to each question.
