CBI charges IPS officer with forgery and criminal conspiracy in Rs 1,200-crore fraud probe

Representative image | Photo credit: Special agreement

The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against IPS officer Bhagyashree Navtake for forgery and criminal conspiracy, the agency said on Thursday (October 17, 2024).

The IPS officer had led the investigation into an alleged Rs 1,200-crore fraud involving Jalgaon-based Bhaichand Hirachand Raisoni Credit Society during 2020-22.

Earlier in August, Pune police registered a case against IPS Navtake.

The case was filed based on a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) report highlighting procedural lapses in fraud investigation.

Mr. Navtake, who was posted as Superintendent of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) in Chandrapur, was booked under Sections 120-B, 466, 474 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code.

The CID investigation found instances of forgery including registering three cases under one crime in a single day and obtaining signatures of complainants without their presence.

In the alleged scam from 2015, numerous people are said to have been defrauded by the promise of attractive interest rates on fixed-term deposits.

The Maharashtra Home Ministry had then directed the Pune Police to register a case based on the CID report.

Further investigation into this matter is underway.