Says two policemen kept asking him to settle the matter; cops deny allegation; one arrested so far
Vishal Viroja, the arrested accused
A Gujarat-based road constructor, who was looted of Rs 3.5 crore while trying to get new currency notes to give his employees Diwali bonus, has claimed that a couple of cops are involved in the racket. He further said that Navi Mumbai cops were trying to get him to settle the matter and that it was only after he approached the Navi Mumbai police commissioner that a case was registered. Cops, however, said that they are investigating the matter and have not found any involvement of cops. One arrest has been made in the case so far.
The con
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The complainant, Babu Jayesh Singh Thakur, 45, said that one Ajay Mishra generally helps him in acquiring new notes and he called him for the same in August as usual. Mishra, in turn, introduced Thakur to one Vishal Viroja who has a friend working with the RBI treasury. Viroja told Thakur that he, too, needed to exchange old currency notes of Rs 1.5 crore and offered to travel together to Navi Mumbai.
Accordingly, Thakur and Viroja met on September 26 and arrived at Belapur where they met one Moin Qadri. The trio then met one Susheel Kulkarni, who posed as an RBI employee, and took them near the RBI office in Belapur. Kulkarni asked them to stop outside and said he would send a van with the new notes. When the van arrived, Thakur asked to see the notes, but Kulkarni stopped him saying it would get them into trouble.
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Qadri sat in the van while Thakur and Viroja followed it in the car and headed towards Gujarat. However, when they reached Taloja an Innova intersected the van and some men threatened the driver and took the van away. Thakur and Vishal, frightened, went back to the hotel. Qadri later met them at a hotel in BKC and said the van and the cash was seized by an RBI vigilance team. He further assured Thakur that Kulkarni would solve it, but then cut contact.
After he realised he was duped by the entire group, Thakur went to CBD Belapur police station early in October to file a complaint. He told mid-day, “Navi Mumbai cops tried to hush the matter. Few cops even asked me if I wanted to settle the matter. Two cops were constantly in touch with me and tried everything to get me to not pursue the matter. So I met the Navi Mumbai Commissioner of Police, it was only then the FIR was registered.”
The FIR was registered on October 14 against Viroja, Qadri, Kulkarni and others under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 170 (impersonating a public servant) 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.
Thakur, however, said, “Those two cops have active involvement in the crime, but their names were not mentioned in the FIR as they are close to an IPS officer.” CBD Belapur cops formed a team and arrested Viroja from Gujarat on October 17 and recovered R2 lakh from him. Cops later also added Section 395 (dacoity) of the IPC in the case.
Cop Speak
“The arrested accused has been sent in judicial custody now, there are more accused involved in the crime and we have got their names too,” said Anil Patil, senior inspector of CBD Belapur police station. When asked about involvement of cops in the racket, he said they have not found any such evidence during investigation.
mid-day got in touch with Navi Mumbai CP Bipin Kumar Singh. When asked about possible involvement of cops, he said, “The investigation is on and whatever emerges from it, we will follow the due process of law. Nobody will be spared.”
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