GRP stumbles upon Hawala racket while probing Rs 5 lakh theft from train

BHOPAL: The Government Railway Police (GRP) stumbled upon a Hawala racket while investigating a Rs 5 lakh theft case from a train on Tuesday. GRP cops arrested four accused and seized about Rs 1.50 crore cash from their possession.
The money was being allegedly transported from Bhopal to Mumbai by Mahanagri Express train by two Hawala carriers on March 13.
One of the carriers identified as Vikas Yadav, had filed a complaint of theft of Rs 5 lakh on March 19, a week after the incident took place. Based on the complaint cops went through the CCTV footage and zeroed upon the accused. During raid on the accused a sum of Rs 1.50 crore was recovered.
Soon after the recovery of cash, another person identified as Mehul Patel, lodged a complaint of theft of Rs 3 crore from the Mahanagri Express on March 13. He too described the details of the accused that matched with those already nabbed by the GRP men.
The four arrested include a retired police officer’s son. The gang targeted the hawala carriers after their details was given by one of the former employee.
The accused were surprised by the big catch and stashed the cash in coolers, cartons and flower pots in their house. They committed the thefts in police uniform and allegedly paid Rs 15 lakh to a ‘Tantrik’ for performing rituals so that they remain untraced by police.
Now, special task force (STF), with the help of Income Tax department and economic offence wing will investigate the case.
ADG (Rail) Aruna Mohan Rao said that complainant Vikas Yadav, a resident of Bhopal, filed a complaint with GRP Khandwa on March 19 alleging that on March 13 while he was travelling to Mumbai in S-10 coach of Mahanagri express four people in police uniform came when the train crossed Chhanera railway station and on the pretext of checking his luggage took the bag containing cash at Khandwa station.
Vikas stated that he was carrying his employer Chetan alias Chintu Tejwani’s money to be delivered in Mumbai. Acting on the information, GRP Khandwa registered a theft case started investigation.
Aruna Rao said that Vikas works as Hawala carrier for the Mumbai-based company and used to transport large sum of money from Bhopal to Mumbai on monthly payment basis.
During investigations GRP nabbed four accused and recovered Rs 1.51 crore, after which, another FIR was lodged on Tuesday by Mehul Patel, who works as manager in the same company as Vikas. He alleged that he was travelling in the same train and his bag carrying Rs 3 crore was also stolen by the same accused.
Investigation officer SI BS Kourav said that the technical team of police with the help of CCTV camera footages and mobile tower locations, nabbed accused Akshay Kundwani and his cousin brother Devesh from their house in Damoh. Police recovered Rs 1 crore from Akshay’s possession and Rs 20 lakh from Devesh. The accused revealed the names of their accomplices Monu Sindhi, Sanjay Jatav, a resident of Rajgarh and Narayan Ahuja, a resident of Itarsi.
Kourav said that Devesh’s uncle Bharat Kundwani told police that the family was shocked to see the large amount of cash. They were so amused by it that they could not find a place to hide it.
Sanjay’s father retired from the post of SI ten years ago. Sanjay and Akshay worked together at a private firm in Indore earlier. Sanjay was arrested from Indore and Rs 28 lakh were recovered from him. He said that search was on to nab Monu Sindhi.