In a significant breakthrough in the ongoing investigation into on-line gaming fraud worth Rs 58 crore, Nagpur Police conducted raids at seven locations and seized 3 kilograms of gold, found hidden in a well, and a cash of Rs 1.35 crore. The raids took place at six locations in Gondia and one in Bhandara on Friday. The mastermind behind the scam, on-line gaming fraudster Sontu alias Ananth Navratan Jain from Gondia, had surrendered before the court on Modnay. Commissioner of Police (CP) Amitesh Kumar, in a press conference, disclosed that substantial amount of cash was confiscated from the residence of Dr Gaurav Bagga in Gondia. The police carried out raids at five other locations in Gondia and one belonging to a bank manager in Bhandara, but no suspicious items were found at these sites, he said. The investigation took a crucial turn when Sontu handed over his iPhone to the police on Monday after surrender. Although he had wiped the data from the device, the police adopted advanced technology deleted information, including eight call recordings of 200 minutes’ duration, the CP said.

 

These call recordings shed light on the communication between Sontu, Gondia Axis Bank manager, Ankesh Khandelwal, and Dr Gaurav Bagga, a radiologist from Gondia. The CP stated that the city police had served a notice to Axis Bank on July 27 for the opening of four lockers registered under the Jain family’s name. Manager Khandelwal, upon receiving the police’s notice, contacted Sontu and tipped him off. Sontu collaborated with Khandelwal and engaged Dr Bagga in a conspiracy. They devised a plan that involved opening three new lockers in Dr Gaurav Bagga’s name in the same branch and transferring substantial sums from the Jain family lockers to the newly established lockers of Dr Bagga. The cash and gold amassed to such an extent that the three new lockers became jammed with valuables. Despite this, Khandelwal and Dr Bagga were unable to shift gold and cash worth Rs 4.54 crore from the Jain family’s lockers. The police seized the remaining amount on August 1.

 

After successfully moving the gold and cash into Dr Bagga’s lockers, Khandelwal and Dr Bagga handed the valuables to a person before July 30. In a statement to the police, Khandelwal revealed that he had delivered three bags filled with gold and cash to a masked person on instructions of Sontu Jain. Sontu told the police that the three bags were received by Bunty Kothari from Gondia. However, Kothari refused of his involvemen in the deal. According to the Police Commissioner, Sontu had promised Khandelwal a commission of Rs 4 crore, while Dr Bagga was assured Rs 2 crore for their involvement. However, a call recording unveiled Sontu’s refusal to pay the full amount to Khandelwal for failing to transfer the entire gold and cash from the bank lockers. In response, Khandelwal asserted that it was impossible as Dr Bagga’s lockers were already jammed and packed. After seizures, a new case has been registered under Sections 409, 420, and 120 (b) of the Indian Penal Code at the Gittikhadan police station against Sontu Jain, bank manager Ankesh Khandelwal, Dr Gaurav Bagga, Dr Garima Bagga, Sontu's brother Dhiraj and his wife Shraddha Dhiraj Jain, Sontu’s mother Kusumdevi Navratan Jain, and others involved. So far, the police have arrested Khandelwal, Dr Bagga and Bunty Kothari, said CP. The investigation into this multi-crore fraud initially commenced with a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the police on July 21, following the duping of Vikrant Agrawal of Rs 58 crore. On July 22, the police raided Jain’s residence in Gondia, seizing cash and gold worth Rs 26.39 crore. On August 1, the police unlocked lockers associated with Sontu Jain and his family and recovered cash and gold valued at Rs 4.54 crore. 

 

 

Dr Bagga had allegedly hidden 3 kilograms of gold in a well and the discovery was made during a police raid. During the search operation, the police grew suspicious of a covered well on Dr Bagga’s property. They questioned Dr Bagga about the well and its contents. Dr Bagga’s responses raised further concerns which led to a thorough inspection of the well. The police removed all the material from the well and discovered a bag tied securely with a rope and hanging from the well’s cover. The cops retrieved the bag and opened it only to found a cache of gold biscuits concealed within.