Hawala Scandal Unfolds: Deputy SP and 3 Others Arrested in ₹2.96 Crore Loot Case
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A major breakthrough has been made in the ₹2.96 crore Hawala money loot case, with the arrest of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and three others. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the case arrested DSP Pankaj Mishra, Jabalpur crime branch constable Pramod Soni, Panju Giri Goswami, and Virendra Dixit, who is the brother-in-law of Sub-Divisional Office of Police (SDOP) Pooja Pandey, the main accused in the Hawala scandal. The number of arrested accused has now risen to 15, including 11 police personnel who are already in jail. The four latest arrests were remanded in police custody for two days. Goswami, a prominent Hawala operator from Jabalpur, is believed to have extended his network to Katni. However, he reportedly informed authorities about the Hawala money being transported, which led to the loot. The incident occurred on the night of October 8-9, when SDOP Pandey and 10 other police personnel were on patrol duty at Siladehi bypass of national highway number 44 in Seoni. They intercepted a car traveling from Katni to Nagpur with ₹2.96 crore in hawala money instead of registering a case. The police personnel allegedly divided the money among themselves and struck a deal with Jalna-based hawala operator Sohan Parmar, who kept ₹1.45 crore and returned the remaining ₹1.51 crore. Pandey and 10 other police personnel were suspended, and a case was registered on October 14 at the Lakhanwada police station under serious charges, including robbery, kidnapping, and criminal conspiracy. Another FIR was registered against Sohan Parmar and others in connection with the Hawala money laundering case. The Jabalpur Crime Branch and the SIT are investigating both cases, and ₹2.70 crore has been recovered so far.
