Mumbai: Fourth FIR likely against Param Bir Singh in bookie’s extortion complaint

Ahmed Ali / TNN / Updated: Jul 26, 2021, 08:26 IST

MUMBAI: A fourth FIR is likely to be registered against former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh based on a state CID probe that found substance in a bookie’s allegation that Singh and other police officers had extorted money from him. The state CID has submitted its report to director general of police Sanjay Pandey on Friday, sources said. 
Sources said that state CID head Praveen Salunkhe submitted the report to Pandey stating that prima facie, the allegations levelled by bookie Sonu Jalan appear to be true and recommended registration of an FIR. Sources said Pandey is likely to submit the report to the state home department and file an FIR against Singh and inspectors Pradeep Sharma and Raj Kumar Kothmire, who have been named by Jalan in his complaint. 
Pandey declined to comment. 
The CID was conducting an inquiry into Jalan’s complaints against Singh, Sharma and Kothmire of Thane anti-extortion cell. In 2018, Thane police claimed that Jalan took the help of gangster Ravi Pujari in recovering betting money from one Ritesh Shah and arrested him, Ketan Tanna and other bookies. In his complaint, Jalan said he was framed in a false case and these officers extorted Rs 5 crore from him and others. 
Last week, two FIRs were registered against Singh on separate allegations of developer Shyam Sunder Agarwal and his nephew Sharad of extorting money from them. In March, inspector Bhimrao Ghadge of Kalyan police lodged an FIR against Singh and 32 other officers alleging that while he was probing a cheating case pertaining to KDMC officials, Singh misused his official position and submitted a closure report despite there being strong documentary evidence. Early this month, the anti-corruption bureau started an open inquiry against Singh based on the complaint of inspector An-up Dange, who was suspended by him. In his complaint to the home department, Dange had alleged that Singh’s relative had demanded Rs 2 crore to reinstate him in the force.

 

Mumbai: 5 cops named in FIRs against Param Bir shunted, SIT formed

Ahmed Ali / TNN / Jul 28, 2021, 04:32 IST

Mumbai: Two deputy commissioners of police, two assistant commissioners of police and a woman police inspector named in the two FIRs lodged on the complaints of developer Shyam Sunder Agarwal and his nephew Sharad Agarwal against former city police chief Param Bir Singh and other police officers have been transferred to the Local Arms (LA) division with immediate effect. 
DCP (crime) Akbar Pathan, DCP (Economic Offences Wing) Parag Manere, ACP Shashikant Shinde, ACP Sanjay Patil and police inspector Asha Korke from Azad Maidan police are the five officers who have now been attached to the LA, confirmed joint commissioner of police (administration) Rajkumar Watkar. “These officers have been attached to the LA till further orders,” Watkar said.
Sources said these officers have been shunted out to the LA division, considered as a side branch, so that they don’t influence or hamper investigations. Mumbai police have formed an SIT to probe the Marine Drive case of extortion, criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy against Singh and other police officers who are accused of trying to extort Rs 20 crore from Shyam Sunder Agarwal by pressurising him to sign consent terms over properties with his disputed partner.
The SIT will consist of around 20 policemen headed by DCP Nimit Goyal from Local Arms division and ACP (Deonar division) Mohammed Mujawar.
Full report on www.toi.in

 Mumbai: Raj Kundra sold porn app to mislead investigators, says cops

Ahmed Ali / TNN / Updated: Jul 21, 2021, 08:37 IST

MUMBAI: To mislead investigating agencies, businessman Ripu Sudan Balkrishna Kundra alias Raj Kundra (45), arrested late Monday evening for production of pornographic films, sold his app ‘Hotshots’ to UK-based company Kenrin Pvt Ltd owned by his brother-in-law Pradeep Bakshi but controlled activities from Mumbai, police said on Tuesday. 

Raj Kundra, husband of actor Shilpa Shetty, and his IT head Ryan Thorpe, arrested by the crime branch, were produced before the 37th metropolitan magistrate on Tuesday and remanded in custody till July 23. Police had already arrested nine people earlier in the case. 

Kundra was involved in the streaming of pornographic videos through the ‘Hotshots’ app, police said. ‘Hotshots’ has now been removed from mobile platforms, and both Apple and Google have removed it due to its pornographic content. Kundra supplied the content and controlled the UK company from his Viaan Industries office. Kundra’s IT head Ryan Thorpe used to look after the app’s functioning, including financial transactions, police said. Kundra said that in 2019, he sold ‘Hotshots’ for 25,000 US dollars and formed another company, Arms Prime Media. 

Police said they found proof, including clips from Kundra’s office. His lawyers Abad Ponda and Subhash Jadhav alleged the arrests were illegal as police did not follow procedures under the Criminal Procedure Code. 

Police claimed they arrested Kundra after they gathered sufficient digital and material evidence to show his and his company Viaan Industries’ role in streaming of pornographic clips on various apps. Police, who carried out a search of Kundra’s JLM Stream office at Veera Desai Road, Andheri, claimed to have found documents indicating his role. 

“In the ongoing investigations, after taking the court’s permission, our teams carried out searches of his office and residence. We found agreements, emails, WhatsApp chats and pornographic material,” said Milind Bharambe, joint commissioner of police (crime). 

“Kundra had formed WhatsApp groups under the name ‘HS TAKE DOWN,’ ‘HS ACCOUNT’ and ‘HS OPERATION’ and he himself was the admin, where they discussed revenue generated on porn content. There are lots of transactions in various accounts in the name of Viaan Industries. We suspect Kundra’s company has received huge finances from foreign shores, which are proceeds of crime. Till now we have frozen several bank accounts of the accused in which we have found Rs 7.5 crore,” an officer said. 

But Kamat told police Kenrin belongs to Pradeep Bakshi, Kundra’s brother-in-law. Police said though Bakshi’s company Kenrin owned the ‘Hotshots’ app, Kundra controlled it from his Viaan Industries office. 

Investigating officer Kiran Biduo told court that Kundra’s involvement came to light after the arrest of Gahna Vashist, who named the businessman’s former personal assistant Umesh Kamat. Kamat revealed Kundra's involvement and said Kundra had appointed him as coordinator and used to look after the ‘Hotshots’ app. 

In February, the property cell of the crime branch raided a bungalow in Madh Island and busted a porn film racket and rescued a woman. Police arrested five persons, namely Yasmin Rowa Khan, Pratibha Nalawade, Monu Gopaldas Joshi, Bhanusuryam Thakur and Mohammed Asif alias Saify under IPC sections of cheating, outraging modesty and indulging in obscene act in public places and under the IT Act for publicly exhibiting or circulating obscene books or literature. The gang’s modus operandi was to lure models promising them a break in web series and short films. They forced them to do “bold scenes” despite their objections, police said. Kundra’s name had also surfaced in investigations by state cyber police. In November last year, police had registered an FIR against 14 OTT platforms for showing pornographic content.

 

Police say Raj Kundra sold Hotshots app to cover up porn trail

Ahmed Ali

Raj Kundra was involved in the streaming of porn videos through the ‘Hotshots’ app, police said. 

(This story originally appeared in  on Jul 21, 2021)

MUMBAI: To mislead investigating agencies, businessman Ripu Sudan Balkrishna Kundra alias Raj Kundra (45), arrested on Monday for production of pornographic films, sold his app ‘Hotshots’ to the UK-based company Kenrin Pvt Ltd owned by his brother-in-law Pradeep Bakshi but controlled activities from Mumbai, police said on Tuesday. 

Raj Kundra, husband of actor Shilpa Shetty, and his IT head Ryan Thorpe, who were arrested by the crime branch, were produced before the 37th metropolitan magistrate on Tuesday and remanded in custody till July 23. Police had already arrested nine people earlier in the case. 

Kundra was involved in the streaming of porn videos through the ‘Hotshots’ app, police said. ‘Hotshots’ has now been removed from mobile platforms. Kundra supplied the content and controlled the UK firm from his 

Viaan Industries

office. Kundra said that he sold ‘Hotshots’ for $25,000 in 2019. 

Police said they found proof, including clips from Kundra’s office Kundra’s lawyers Abad Ponda and Subhash Jadhav alleged the arrests were illegal as the police did not follow procedures under the Criminal Procedure Code.

Mumbai: Absconding town planner seeks bail in graft case

Ahmed Ali / TNN / Updated: Jun 16, 2021, 11:08 IST

MUMBAI: In a development in the case of alleged corruption by the Thane police and the officials of the town planning office, Dilip Gheware, the town planner of Mira-Bhayander who has been absconding for 10 days, on Tuesday moved the Thane sessions court seeking anticipatory bail. 
The whistle-blower in the case, Raju Shah, as well as the SIT raised an objection to run the plea before Thane court judge Rajesh Kakani. 
Shah’s lawyer Shekar Jagtap argued that the prevention of corruption sections have been removed from the case and the matter is being probed by the Thane crime branch. 
Jagtap argued that Kakani’s ACB court does not have administrative powers to hear the bail application of a regular matter. The court dismissed this plea. 
Gheware’s lawyer objected to Shah’s intervention application. The bail matter will be heard on Wednesday.

 

NIA arrests 2 more in Antilia & Hiran cases

Ahmed Ali / TNN / Jun 16, 2021, 05:15 IST

MUMBAI: National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently arrested two more persons, including a confidant of a retired inspector in connection with the planting of gelatine sticks outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house at Carmichael Road, and subsequent murder of Scorpio car owner Mansukh Hiran. 
NIA arrested Santosh Shellar and Anand Jadhav, residents of Kurar village in Malad after their names cropped up in investigations. Shellar has cases of attempt to murder, assault and other crimes against him. Sources said the Tavera which NIA seized last month belonged to Shellar, a confidant of an encounter specialist. NIA secretly produced them before NIA judge Shintre on Sunday. With this the number of accused arrested touched seven. 
Both were again produced on Tuesday before NIA court, which remanded them to police custody till June 21. NIA has so far arrested API Sachin Waze, Riyazuddin Kazi, police constable Vinayak Shinde, Gujarat mobile service provider Naresh Gor and inspector Sunil Mane in the two investigations.

 

Ambani security scare: Ex-encounter cop 'Pradeep Sharma was at conspiracy meetings’

Ahmed Ali / TNN / Updated: Jun 18, 2021, 09:55 IST

MUMBAI: The NIA team probing the planting of explosives in a vehicle near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence and the subsequent murder of vehicle owner Mansukh Hiran arrested retired police inspector and encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma, whom the alleged killers spoke to before and after the crime. 
Sharma, who was holidaying with his family at Aamby Valley in Lonavla, was picked up early Thursday morning and brought to NIA’s office. Two others, Satish Tirupati Mothkuri alias Tanni alias Vicky Baba (40) and Manish Vasant Soni (46), were arrested from Malad. With this, the number of persons arrested in the case is 10. 

Special NIA judge Prashant Sitre remanded the three in police custody till June 28. The role of a senior police officer, who reportedly extended logistics support, is being ascertained. The NIA prosecutor told the court Sharma’s role has now surfaced, hence they have arrested him. 
Sharma is also accused of procuring gelatin sticks from a Thane businessman who is his friend. 
‘Sharma was at conspiracy meetings’
An NIA team accompanied by CRPF personnel reached retired cop Pradeep Sharma’s house and office, located at different spots in J B Nagar, Andheri, and carried out searches for over six hours. The NIA claims to have recovered some cash, documents and illegal arms and ammunition. 

Sharma was earlier arrested in 2009 in the alleged fake encounter of Chhota Rajan aide Lakhan Bhaiya in 2006. In 2013 he was acquitted. 
Special NIA public prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves told court they want to ascertain the deep-rooted conspiracy in the case. The court rejected his request to disallow the media inside the court as it was a sensitive case. 
According to NIA, on March 4, dismissed policemen Sachin Waze and Sunil Mane handed over Mansukh Hiran to four accused --Santosh Shellar, Anand Jadhav, Satish and Soni at Hotel Hill View at Ghodbunder Road in Thane. The four took him in a Tavera car, smothered him to death and dumped his body in the creek at the behest of Waze and Sharma. Shellar and Jadhav, both Malad residents arrested last Saturday, have also shown the place where they dumped Hiran’s body, NIA claimed. The killers spoke to Waze and Sharma before and after the crime, NIA said. 
Gonsalves said the key accused need to be confronted with each other, without which investigations cannot be completed. “There are other people also involved, hence we want 14 days’ police custody.” The vehicle laden with explosives was found on February 25, and Hi-ran’s body was found in a Mum-bra creek on March 5. 
NIA sources said Sharma is accused of attending conspiracy meetings held at police headquarters on March 2 and 4 between him and Waze and two other officers. Another meeting took place at Sharma’s office in Andheri, where Mane is believed to have handed over a SIM card to be used in the crime. After Hiran’s murder, one SIM card was active up to the point of Sharma’s house at J B Nagar, NIA said. All the accused were in touch with Sharma before and after the crime. 
Judge Sitre asked NIA officials why they didn’t arrest Sharma if they had unearthed a conspiracy when they arrested inspector Sunil Mane. On the judge’s demand, NIA SP Vikram Khalate showed him the case diary. 
Gonsalves told court, “We had information about Sharma’s role but then he was just a suspect and we were collecting evidence. He is an ex-police officer who knows how to dodge the investigating agency. He is a tough nut to crack and he initially misled the agency. We have got traces of DNA samples collected from the Tavera which belonged to Jadhav. A lot of money has been distributed to the accused by Waze and Sharma, which needs to be ascertained. There are a few more people involved... to be arrested.” 
Sharma’s lawyer Sudeep Pas-bola argued there was no material evidence to link his client’s role in the case and said he has been cooperating with the agency. Sharma sought permission to speak and told court, “I am not involved in the crime. I have been made a scapegoat in the fight between two lobbies in the police department. I don’t know these two people who have been arrested along with me. If I was involved, why would I be sleeping in my house, I would have run away. I only know Santosh Shellar as he has been my informant for12 years.” Earlier, NIA arrested four other cops: Waze, Riyazuddin Kazi, Sunil Mane and former constable Vinayak Shinde.

 

Mumbai: ‘Sharma was at conspiracy meetings’

Ahmed Ali / TNN / Jun 18, 2021, 04:56 IST

Mumbai: An NIA team accompanied by CRPF personnel reached retired cop Pradeep Sharma’s house and office, located at different spots in J B Nagar, Andheri, and carried out searches for over six hours. The NIA claims to have recovered some cash, documents and illegal arms and ammunition. 
Sharma was earlier arrested in 2009 in the alleged fake encounter of Chhota Rajan aide Lakhan Bhaiya in 2006. In 2013 he was acquitted. 
Special NIA public prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves told court they want to ascertain the deep-rooted conspiracy in the case. The court rejected his request to disallow the media inside the court as it was a sensitive case. 
According to NIA, on March 4, dismissed policemen Sachin Waze and Sunil Mane handed over Mansukh Hiran to four accused --Santosh Shellar, Anand Jadhav, Satish and Soni at Hotel Hill View at Ghodbunder Road in Thane. The four took him in a Tavera car, smothered him to death and dumped his body in the creek at the behest of Waze and Sharma. Shellar and Jadhav, both Malad residents arrested last Saturday, have also shown the place where they dumped Hiran’s body, NIA claimed. The killers spoke to Waze and Sharma before and after the crime, NIA said. 
Gonsalves said the key accused need to be confronted with each other, without which investigations cannot be completed. “There are other people also involved, hence we want 14 days’ police custody.” The vehicle laden with explosives was found on February 25, and Hiran’s body was found in a Mumbra creek on March 5. 
NIA sources said Sharma is accused of attending conspiracy meetings held at police headquarters on March 2 and 4 between him and Waze and two other officers. Another meeting took place at Sharma’s office in Andheri, where Mane is believed to have handed over a SIM card to be used in the crime. After Hiran’s murder, one SIM card was active up to the point of Sharma’s house at J B Nagar, NIA said. All the accused were in touch with Sharma before and after the crime. 
Judge Sitre asked NIA officials why they didn’t arrest Sharma if they had unearthed a conspiracy when they arrested inspector Sunil Mane. On the judge’s demand, NIA SP Vikram Khalate showed him the case diary. 
Gonsalves told court, “We had information about Sharma’s role but then he was just a suspect and we were collecting evidence. He is an ex-police officer who knows how to dodge the investigating agency. He is a tough nut to crack and he initially misled the agency. We have got traces of DNA samples collected from the Tavera which belonged to Jadhav. A lot of money has been distributed to the accused by Waze and Sharma, which needs to be ascertained. There are a few more people involved... to be arrested.” 
Sharma’s lawyer Sudeep Pasbola argued there was no material evidence to link his client’s role in the case and said he has been cooperating with the agency. Sharma sought permission to speak and told court, “I am not involved in the crime. I have been made a scapegoat in the fight between two lobbies in the police department. I don’t know these two people who have been arrested along with me. If I was involved, why would I be sleeping in my house, I would have run away. I only know Santosh Shellar as he has been my informant for 12 years.” Earlier, NIA arrested four other cops: Waze, Riyazuddin Kazi, Sunil Mane and former constable Vinayak Shinde.

 

Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami, COO & CFO named in 3rd TRP chargesheet

Ahmed Ali / TNN / Updated: Jun 23, 2021, 05:37 IST

MUMBAI: The city crime branch probing the Television Rating Points (TRP) manipulation scam has named Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami, four employees of the channel and two others in its second supplementary chargesheet submitted in the 37th metropolitan magistrate court on Tuesday. 
The police have named COO of ARG Outlier (that runs Republic TV), Priya Mukherjee, chief financial officer, Shiva Sundaram, and two other officials, Shivendra Mundherkar and Ranjit Walter, along with two directors of Maha Movies, Amit Dave and Sanjay Verma, in the chargesheet. 

The police said their investigation has shown that TRPs were manipulated in three ways. “Inducing panel homes where bar-o-meters are installed by the way of paying money to watch certain TV Channels for a specific time. Dual LCN - Placing one TV Channel on two different frequencies by the Multi System Operators/Cable Operators for one TV channel and by Manipulating TV Channel viewership data (Metarule) received at BARC.” Further they conspired with the arrested BARC officials to rig the TRPs of their channel,” the crime branch press release stated. 
While the first chargsheet had mentioned 15 accused, the second supplementary chargesheet, over 1,912 pages long, has enlisted seven more persons as accused. This case was probed by the crime intelligence unit (CIU) headed by assistant police inspector Sachin Waze and Riyazuddin Kazi, both arrested in the planting of gelatin sticks in a vehicle near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence and the subsequent murder of vehicle owner Mansukh Hiran. 
The case was registered on October 6 last year after the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) lodged a complaint that certain TV channels were rigging TRPs through illegal means. BARC has installed 2,000 barometers in Mumbai to monitor TRPs, which are strictly confidential. BARC, which releases weekly rating points for TV channels in India, had given the contract to Hansa Research, which filed the complaint against some former employees who misused the data on households where TRP monitoring systems are installed. 
Police during the probe had said that when Goswami launched Republic TV in 2017, he sought former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta’s help in manipulating TRPs to take the channel to the No. 1 slot. Both have known each other since 2013. Police said they had also stumbled upon certain email exchanges and WhatsApp chats between Dasgupta and Republic channel’s chief operating officer (COO), Romit Ramgarhia, discussing TRP manipulation. There are also WhatsApp chats between Goswami and Dasgupta discussing TRP manipulation, police had said. 
The crime branch had arrested 15 people, including employees of Hansa, Republic TV, Fakt Marathi, Box Cinema, News Nation, Maha Movies and Wow music channels for inflating viewership figures, a key parameter that media buying houses consider while placing advertisements. The channels are accused of paying money to households (in those houses where barometers are installed) for keeping channels on. 
Officials said the arrests of Waze and Kazi have not impacted the investigation. The case was subsequently probed by assistant commissioner of police Shashank Sandbhor. Earlier, police had claimed TRP manipulation has caused huge losses to the industry and there was a possibility of involvement of advertisers and investors in the scam. However, the chargesheet has not mentioned these aspects.

 

Arnab Goswami, BARC ex-CEO caused Rs 431 crore loss to Times Now: Police

Ahmed Ali / TNN / Updated: Jun 24, 2021, 08:39 IST

MUMBAI: Republic TV's Arnab Goswami, in connivance with Partho Dasgupta, former CEO of Broadcast Audience Research Council, had manipulated television rating points (TRPs) of Times Now channel between June 2017 and March 2018 causing a loss of Rs 431 crore to the organisation, according to the supplementary chargesheet filed by Mumbai Police on Tuesday. 
The crime branch had registered a case on October 6, 2020 after the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) lodged a complaint that certain television channels were rigging TRPs through illegal means. The BARC had installed 2,000 barometers in households in Mumbai to monitor TRPs in a confidential manner. 
However, money was paid to households to keep TV sets tuned to certain channels and shows to rig ratings, for which funds were provided by Goswami, the chargesheet said. 
Earlier, police had said that Times Now was the leading channel in TRP rankings, but within a week after Republic TV was launched in 2017, BARC officials had connived and brought down Times Now to the number 2 position and CNN-18 from number two to third rank. The chargesheet also said that Arnab paid Dasgupta huge sums and the latter bought expensive items including gold and silver jewellery from the funds he received for his involvement in the manipulation, the chargesheet states. 
The chargesheet said Arnab was a member of various WhatsApp groups used for the company’s work and the chats on some of them reveal discussions on TRP manipulation. The chargesheet also states that Goswami during questioning accepted the nature of the content of the Whatsapp chats with Dasgupta. Police conducted a panchnama of the conversations. “In these chats (between December 26, 2020 and December 28, 2020) Dasgupta shared confidential information of his company (BARC) with Goswami that benefited his company”, the chargesheet states. 
The Mumbai crime branch named Republic TV's Arnab Goswami, four employees of the channel and two others in the supplementary chargesheet submitted in the 37th Metropolitan Magistrate court on Tuesday. Police have also named COO of ARG Outlier (that runs Republic TV), Priya Mukherjee, chief financial officer Shiva Sundaram, other officials Shivendra Mundherkar and Ranjit Walter and two directors of Maha Movies Amit Dave and Sanjay Verma in the chargesheet. 
The chargesheet also states that the accused used Dual LCN—getting one channel placed on two frequencies by multi system operators (MSOs) and cable operators—and manipulating channel viewership data received at BARC. Due to this, Republic’s TRP had risen.

Maharashtra: Nearly 300 kg heroin worth Rs 879 crore seized, 1 held

Ahmed Ali / TNN / Updated: Jul 3, 2021, 07:29 IST

MUMBAI: In one of the major narcotics seizures in the last 10 years, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 293 kg heroin valued at Rs 879 crore smuggled in from Afghanistan through Iran on Thursday and arrested the importer, identified as Prabhjot Singh, sources said. 
Heroin is the most commonly trafficked substance in India, followed by cannabis and cocaine. The contraband was declared as gypsum stone and talcum powder and was brought through JNPT when officials intercepted it. The import export code (IEC) was in the name of Singh and the consignment was meant for Punjab. Singh has been importing gypsum stone and talcum powder through JNPT for the past one year, sources said. 
“The consignment had arrived from Afghanistan via Iran which raised suspicion that it may contain some banned goods. During physical examination, we discovered it was narcotics mis-declared as gypsum,” said an official. “A test using an NDPS kit confirmed it was heroin,” said an official. The consignment was seized under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. 
Last year, the DRI had seized 191 kg heroin which was falsely declared as mulethi, an Ayurvedic herb. The special task force of the Punjab police had also seized 194kg heroin and other contraband from a rented house in Amritsar district and arrested six persons, including an Afghan national and a woman.

 

Mumbai police inspector caught taking Rs 22L bribe gets job back

Ahmed Ali / TNN / Updated: Jul 14, 2021, 06:02 IST

MUMBAI: A police inspector dismissed from service after being caught by the state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while accepting a bribe of Rs 22 lakh in 2019 was reinstated two months ago, despite objections from the commissioner of police. 
The reinstatement move began in 2019, when the BJP-Sena government was in power, but was put on the backburner following objections. Finally, in May this year, the current MVA government gave the go-ahead for his reinstatement. 

On January 1, 2019, police inspector Anand Bhoir, who was then attached to the crime branch, was arrested for allegedly accepting Rs 22 lakh from Ashok Patel, a liquor shop owner in Fort. 
Patel has so far trapped more than 130 public servants in bribery and extortion cases. Bhoir had raided a godown at JB Nagar in Andheri and seized 945 illegally imported liquor bottles worth over Rs 16.3 lakh and arrested one person. He then allegedly threatened to book Patel for being part of the gang. 
He allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 25 lakh for not arresting Patel. The complainant approached the ACB and Bhoir was caught accepting Rs 22 lakh in Andheri. The bribery case is still pending before the ACB court. 
In September 2019, the then police commissioner Sanjay Barve dismissed Bhoir after a departmental inquiry found him guilty. Bhoir approached the then minister of state for home Ranjit Patil, who stayed the order and directed his reinstatement. When Barve objected to the reinstatement, the minister stayed his order. 
Sources said after the MVA government came to power, Bhoir’s reinstatement issue cropped up again. Bhoir’s file was taken up for review and the stay was lifted, said a senior police officer. 
In the inquiry, Bhoir was found guilty of tweaking the police investigation to benefit the accused and benefit himself monetarily. Bhoir was dismissed under the provisions of the Bombay Police (Punishment and Appeals) Rules, 1956. Bhoir had filed an appeal before the home department for reinstatement stating that he was illegally dismissed from the services and bribery cannot be grounds for his dismissal and there are several public servants caught in bribery cases and all cannot be dismissed from the services. He stated that he had a good track record of solving sensational cases while serving in Mumbai and Thane police. 
Bhoir, currently posted in the control room in the eastern region, declined to comment. Joint commissioner of police (administration) Rajkumar Watkar said he had been reinstated based on the orders from the state home department. He declined to comment further. 
The home department and former police commissioner Param Bir Singh is already facing flak over the reinstatement of assistant police inspector Sachin Waze back in the force after 16 years. Waze was dismissed from service after he was arrested in the planting of gelatines in a vehicle near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s bungalow and subsequent murder of the vehicle owner Mansukh Hiran.

 

Maharashtra: Tainted cop likely to be sacked after TOI exposé

Ahmed Ali / TNN / Updated: Jul 15, 2021, 08:16 IST

MUMBAI: The state home department is likely to set aside the reinstatement of police inspector Anand Bhoir following a TOI report on Wednesday about the officer getting his job back despite having been caught by the Anti-Corruption Bureau accepting a bribe of Rs 22 lakh in 2019. 
Officials said that in April this year Bhoir, who was dismissed from service by the then police commissioner Sanjay Barve in 2019, had filed an appeal before the minister of state for home for his reinstatement. 
In May the MoS for home accepted his plea and reinstated him in the force. He was posted at the control room in the east region. 
“We have taken serious note of the corruption case against Bhoir and are in the process of dismissing him again from service,” a home department official said.

Busted: Luxe cars imported in diplomats’ names, 3 held

S Ahmed Ali / TNN / Jul 17, 2021, 06:30 IST

MUMBAI: Three people have been arrested in a luxury car smuggling racketwhere the accused managed to evade paying high custom duties by importing the cars using privileges meant for diplomats, said officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). 

The DRI officials said the arrested have been identified as key accused Liyakat Bachau Khan, CEO of a luxury car dealer from Gurugram, Nipun Miglani and Suriya Arjunan. Six high-end cars, including a Range Rover and Toyota Land Cruiser, have been seized as part of ‘Operation Monte Carlo’. The kingpin of the racket, who shuttles between India and the UAE, is also wanted. 
20 other cars smuggled likely to be confiscated
The DRI’s ‘Operation Monte Carlo’ was launched on a tip-off that a few people were smuggling high-end cars into India in the names of diplomats and diverting the same to private persons, thereby evading huge amount of customs duty. 
On getting specific details of one such car imported in the name of a Delhi-based diplomat of an African nation, the DRI kept watch over the vehicle on its arrival at the port near Mumbai. The car was loaded onto a transport vehicle and taken to a luxury car showroom in Andheri and kept for display. DRI officers kept watch over the car all along. Parallelly, in a carefully-planned all-India operation across seven cities, searches were carried out at the premises of the key individuals involved in this racket. Six cars have been confiscated. 
The probe agency said 20 other cars which had been smuggled in a similar manner by evading customs duty. These cars are now being used by celebrities, businessmen and builders. These cars too are likely to be confiscated, said an official. 
Imports made by foreign diplomats and missions in India are exempt from all custom duties. 
The net customs duty payable on import of cars works out to 204%. Officials said that exemption from customs duty is granted to certain classes of members of diplomatic missions in India and their family members on all imported goods. “Taking advantage of this, the accused forged documents to show that these cars were imported for diplomatic assignments.” said an official. 
A Dubai-based member of this gang who has allegedly been involved in other customs-related offences was the mastermind of the racket. He would arrange for import of luxury cars into India from the UK, Japan and the UAE, in the names of diplomats. On arrival in India, these vehicles were sent to the buyer’s city or a dealer of luxury cars. Registration was done at remote RTOs in different states, where there is little verification and smaller amount are payable as tax, said officials. 
After registration formalities, the cars were sold to Indian buyers, evading a custom duty of 204% . 
Officials said that more than 20 luxury vehicles could have been smuggled into India in the name of diplomats over the past five years.