Nearly Two Years on the Run: Professor, Transporter Arrested in ₹94-Lakh Mumbai Cheating Case in Raipur

Mumbai: A nearly two-year search for two men wanted in connection with an alleged ₹94-lakh cheating case has finally come to an end, with Mumbai Police arresting them from separate locations in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

The accused have been identified as Kamlesh Sahu, 39, a professor at an engineering college who is also involved in the transport business, and Virendra Tanwar, a transporter. Both had allegedly been evading arrest since the case was registered in 2024.

The arrests were carried out by the Vanrai police in Goregaon East after investigators followed information provided by their informants and traced the two suspects to Raipur.

Police Track Down Accused After They Go Off the Grid

Investigators faced a major challenge while trying to locate Sahu and Tanwar. According to police, both men had stopped using their mobile phones, apparently in an attempt to avoid being tracked.

With no regular phone activity to follow, investigators had to depend heavily on ground-level information and their network of informants.

The breakthrough came when police received information that the two accused had shifted to Raipur. Officers began verifying the information and eventually traced their movements to the Naya Raipur area.

Sahu was allegedly staying in the area with his wife. Police tracked him to Sector 27 in Raipur and arrested him during a search operation on Friday.

Investigators then continued looking for Tanwar. The following day, they traced him to the premises of Aranya Bhavan, the Forest Department’s Main Office in Naya Raipur. He was arrested at around 3 pm, officials said.

The arrests marked a significant development in a case that had remained pending for nearly two years.

Alleged Fraud Dates Back to Early 2024

The case relates to alleged financial irregularities that took place between January and March 2024 involving a Goregaon-based logistics company.

According to police, the alleged fraud came to light after the company discovered discrepancies in its accounts.

The company director, Prashant Shettikar, reportedly learned that Dev Sharma, the company’s zonal head, was allegedly involved in suspicious transactions. Following this discovery, a case was registered in 2024.

Investigators allege that Sharma worked with Sahu and Tanwar to create fake documents and show transactions worth approximately ₹94 lakh, despite no actual logistics services being provided against those transactions.

The alleged scheme involved the preparation of fake e-way bills, receipts and company stamps to make the transactions appear genuine.

Fake Paperwork Allegedly Made Transactions Look Real

Police believe the accused allegedly created paperwork that gave the impression that goods had been transported and legitimate logistics services had been provided.

However, according to the investigation, no actual goods were transported for the transactions in question.

The alleged use of fake e-way bills and receipts helped create a paper trail that appeared legitimate. Fake stamps of the recipient company were also allegedly used to strengthen the appearance that the transactions had been officially authorised.

The alleged fraud was eventually uncovered when inconsistencies in the company’s financial records prompted further investigation.

Zonal Head Allegedly Received ₹4 Lakh Commission

Dev Sharma, whose alleged role was uncovered during the company’s internal scrutiny, was arrested from Bengaluru around one-and-a-half months ago and is currently in jail, according to police.

Investigators allege that Sharma received ₹4 lakh as commission from Sahu and Tanwar for approving the allegedly fake bills.

Police said that ₹2 lakh of the alleged commission was transferred to Sharma’s wife’s bank account.

His arrest provided investigators with important information about the alleged operation and helped them focus their attention on Sahu and Tanwar, who had reportedly disappeared after learning that Mumbai Police were searching for them.

Other Names Mentioned in FIR

The FIR filed on the complaint of company director Prashant Shettikar names several individuals in connection with the alleged fraud.

According to the FIR, Sharma allegedly worked with Ravi Gupta, the owner of M Trucky Online Transport, along with the owners of Fraka Shipping—Ankita Rai, Pragati Singh and Virendra Tanwar.

Police allege that the group created documentation for transactions that did not involve actual transportation of goods.

The alleged transactions were worth around ₹94 lakh, causing a significant financial loss to the company.

Company Handles Logistics Services

According to police, Box N Freight Logistics Solution Private Limited obtains contracts from third parties and arranges courier and cargo services for clients.

Its operations include transportation through several modes, including air, road, sea and multimodal transport.

Investigators suspect that the alleged accused exploited the company’s logistics-related processes to create transactions on paper without actually delivering the corresponding services.

The case has highlighted how fake documentation can potentially be used to make non-existent business transactions appear legitimate.

Arrests Part of Mumbai Police Drive Against Absconders

The arrests also came as part of a broader Mumbai Police drive to locate accused persons who have remained absconding in old cases.

Police officials said Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti had directed police stations across the city to intensify efforts to trace people wanted in pending cases.

Following the directive, Vanrai police stepped up their efforts to locate Sahu and Tanwar.

Investigators followed various leads and eventually received information that the two men had relocated to Raipur.

A police team subsequently travelled to Chhattisgarh and began searching for them.

Informant Network Helps Crack the Case

With the accused allegedly avoiding mobile phones, traditional investigative methods became particularly important.

Police relied on their informant network to establish where the two men were living and then conducted searches after verifying the information.

The investigation first led officers to Sahu, who was allegedly living with his wife in Raipur. His arrest was followed by the search for Tanwar, who was eventually located at Aranya Bhavan.

The arrest of both men is expected to help investigators gather more information about the alleged financial transactions and determine the precise roles of each person named in the case.

Investigation Still Underway

The police investigation is continuing, with officers examining the alleged financial transactions, documents and links between the accused.

Investigators are also expected to question Sahu and Tanwar about the alleged fake bills, receipts and e-way bills and their alleged association with the other accused.

The case serves as a reminder that fraudulent transactions can sometimes be hidden behind seemingly legitimate business paperwork. What appears to be a routine logistics transaction on paper may require closer scrutiny when the underlying services or movement of goods cannot be verified.

For Vanrai police, the arrest of the two alleged absconders represents a major breakthrough in a case that began more than two years ago. Their questioning could now provide investigators with further clues about how the alleged ₹94-lakh fraud was organised and whether anyone else was involved.

News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.