Nagpur: In a major crackdown on organised crime, drug trafficking and property offences, Nagpur Police on Monday announced breakthroughs in five separate investigations, including an MD drug trafficking network, a suspected counterfeit currency operation, an armed house robbery, a jewellery shop heist and an attack on an 82-year-old woman. The operations resulted in multiple arrests, substantial seizures and fresh leads in cases involving alleged criminal networks operating across state borders.
Addressing a press conference at the Nagpur City Police Commissionerate on October 26, Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangre Patil outlined the action taken by various police stations and Crime Branch units. Joint Commissioner of Police Navinchandra Reddy, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Deepak Agrawal, Assistant Commissioner of Police Vaibhav Jadhav and other senior officers were present.
Among the major developments was the seizure of MD drugs and other property worth Rs 1.54 crore in Beltarodi, followed by the arrest of wanted accused Vishal alias Phalli Gupta from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. Police also announced arrests in the suspected fake currency case in Wathoda, a late-night armed robbery in Gittikhadan, the Dhomne Jewellers robbery in the MIDC area and five alleged offences linked to a suspect arrested in connection with an assault on an elderly woman.
1. Rs 1.54-crore MD drug haul; wanted corporator firing accused held
The Crime Branch Unit-5 seized 1.405 kg of suspected mephedrone (MD), along with cash, mobile phones, vehicles and other material collectively valued at Rs 1,54,50,700, during a raid at Vijaya Apartment in Narendra Nagar, under Beltarodi police station limits.
According to police, the operation followed specific intelligence received at around 4.20 pm on October 24 about suspected MD trafficking. A team raided a flat on the third floor of the apartment, near Bharat Petroleum on Ring Road, in the presence of independent witnesses.
Five men were found at the premises: Aniket alias Annu Bihare, Toofansingh Sisodia, Krishna alias Pahalwan Verma, Rahul alias Bhaya Gond and Shubham alias Doremon Narwaria. Police allegedly recovered 1,405 grams of MD powder, six mobile phones, Rs 3,44,700 in cash, a Hyundai Verna car, four two-wheelers, an electronic weighing scale and other material.
Investigators suspect the drugs were brought from Rajasthan and distributed among smaller sellers in Nagpur. According to the police account, the supply operation was allegedly being conducted on the instructions of Vishal alias Phalli Prithvilal Gupta, who was already wanted in connection with the firing at Congress corporator Shubham Motghare’s residence in Bhandewadi.
Police also referred to the arrest of Kunal Dashrath Mamudre and other suspects during the wider investigation. The precise number of accused connected with the drug case and their respective roles are being examined.
Fugitive traced to Rameswaram
In a significant development, Crime Branch Unit-5 tracked Gupta to Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu through technical surveillance and confidential intelligence. Police said Gupta had been evading arrest and moving between locations while attempting to conceal his whereabouts.
He was detained along with a woman identified in the police account as Saheli Pandharam alias Sanu. Both were produced before a local court, and transit remand was obtained to bring them to Nagpur, according to the information released at the press conference.
Gupta is alleged to have played a central role in the firing at Motghare’s residence in Shravan Nagar, Bhandewadi, and is wanted in an attempt-to-murder case in which provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) have been invoked. Police said he faces cases under various provisions relating to murder, attempt to murder, organised crime and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
The arrest is expected to help investigators trace the source of the seized drugs, identify suppliers and buyers, and establish the alleged connections between the trafficking network and other criminal activities. Further investigation is underway.
2. Suspected counterfeit currency operation uncovered in Wathoda
Wathoda Police have registered a case after discovering printing equipment and paper bearing designs resembling Indian Rs 500 currency notes in a rented house in the Threestar Cooperative Society area. Police said the material and equipment seized were collectively valued at Rs 37,83,600.
The case came to light on October 24, when house owner Ramesh Gangadhar Harde visited the first-floor premises rented to Pushpam Krishna Bandane, aged 29, after failing to contact him over two months of unpaid rent.
According to the complaint, Harde knocked on the door but received no response. Suspecting something might be wrong, he opened it with a spare key and noticed papers resembling Rs 500 notes scattered on a sofa. He subsequently alerted the police.
During the search, officers reportedly found an ASUS laptop, an Epson colour printer, two paper cutters, bottles of coloured ink, blank paper and printed sheets bearing designs resembling currency notes.
Some sheets had printing on both sides, while others had designs on only one side. Police estimated the face value represented by the double-sided printed sheets at around Rs 37 lakh and that represented by the single-sided sheets at approximately Rs 48 lakh. These figures relate to the denominations represented by the printed designs and do not establish that genuine counterfeit currency of those amounts had been produced.
Police have seized the material and registered an offence under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Investigators are examining whether the material was intended to be converted into counterfeit notes, whether any finished notes were circulated and whether other people were involved.
The investigation will also seek to establish the purpose of the equipment, the duration of the suspected activity and the intended distribution channel.
3. Six arrested in armed house robbery in Gittikhadan
Gittikhadan Police have arrested six men and detained a juvenile in connection with an alleged armed robbery at a residence in Friends Colony late on October 23. The suspects allegedly entered the house, threatened a woman and her 14-year-old son with knives and other weapons, demanded money and fled with two mobile phones.
The incident occurred at around 12.30 am at Purva Residency in Netaji Cooperative Society. The woman, identified as Soumya Subramaniam Paluru, aged 38, was sleeping at home with her son when four to five persons allegedly entered the premises through the staircase leading to the upper floor.
According to police, the intruders demanded to know where money was kept. When the woman said there was no money and asked them to search the house, she and her son began shouting. One of the suspects allegedly grabbed the boy by the neck, while the group took two mobile phones valued at around Rs 60,000 and attempted to snatch his gold chain.
The suspects escaped through the gallery after the family raised an alarm.
CCTV footage and informers lead to arrests
Gittikhadan Police examined CCTV footage from the surrounding area and acted on confidential information to identify the suspects. The arrested accused have been identified as Sumet alias Chhota Somkunwar, Akash Meshram, Bhushan Alone, Nikhil Dubey, Piyush Goswami and Sheikh Tauheed alias Yedabhai. A juvenile in conflict with the law has also been detained.
Police allege that Sumet had worked as an office boy at the woman’s husband’s workplace for approximately four years and knew that the husband sometimes brought office cash home. Investigators suspect that information about a large amount of money allegedly kept at the residence six to seven days before the incident prompted the accused to plan the robbery.
Police have reportedly recovered the two mobile phones, a vehicle allegedly used in the crime and other material valued at Rs 2,60,200.
Investigators are continuing to examine the alleged planning of the robbery, the individual roles of the accused and whether any additional persons were involved.
4. Wanted accused arrested in Dhomne Jewellers robbery; Rs 53.75 lakh in property seized
MIDC Police have arrested another wanted accused in the robbery at Dhomne Jewellers on Hingna Road, taking the investigation further into a case involving the alleged theft of gold and silver ornaments worth approximately Rs 40 lakh.
The latest arrested accused has been identified as Guptakeel Maneer Ahmed, aged 34. Police said several other accused had already been arrested in the case and that property worth a total of Rs 53.75 lakh had been seized during the investigation.
The robbery took place between 4.40 pm and 4.55 pm on October 3 at Dhomne Jewellers, opposite Mahakali Bar on Hingna Road. Shop owner Rakesh Subhash Dhomne’s employee, Shubham Hadge, was present when four unidentified men allegedly entered the premises.
The accused reportedly threatened Hadge with an object resembling a firearm, threatened to kill him, assaulted him and fled with around 350 grams of gold and silver ornaments.
Inter-state investigation and AI-assisted analysis
MIDC Police and the Crime Branch launched parallel investigations, using technical analysis, artificial intelligence-assisted examination and coordination with police in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to trace the suspects.
Police had earlier arrested Abhishek Singh Thakur, Jairam alias Joginder Thakur, Shubhankit Chaturvedi and Rajan Sami Sharma. The latest arrest of Ahmed is expected to help investigators establish the roles of the remaining suspects and trace the movement of the stolen property.
According to police, investigators recovered 165 grams of gold allegedly sold to jewellers in Uttar Pradesh and 70 grams of silver from another jeweller.
The seized property reportedly includes three mobile phones, a Kia car, a black Mahindra Thar, a Toyota Fortuner, a Pulsar motorcycle and gold and silver ornaments. Police have placed the total value of the seized property at Rs 53.75 lakh.
Investigators are now examining how the robbery was planned, the connections among the accused and the channels through which the stolen ornaments were allegedly sold. Their movements in other states are also under scrutiny.
5. Crime Branch arrests suspect in attack on 82-year-old woman; five cases linked
Crime Branch Unit-2 has arrested Clement alias Rohit Eugene Pillay, aged 35, a resident of Kirad Layout in Mankapur, in connection with an attack on an 82-year-old woman in the Sadar police station area. Police said further questioning linked the suspect to five alleged offences involving theft, housebreaking, robbery and molestation.
The assault occurred at around 9.30 pm on October 16 near Alex Mechanical Works on Kamptee Road, close to Gaddigodam. The victim, Hilda Alexander Anthony, was at home when a man estimated to be between 25 and 30 years old rang her doorbell.
When she opened the door, the suspect allegedly had a cloth covering his face and struck her on the head with a wooden stick. Her cries alerted family members living on the upper floor, prompting the attacker to flee. The injured woman was taken to Kingsway Hospital for treatment.
Sadar Police registered a case following the complaint.
Technical investigation uncovers other alleged offences
Crime Branch Unit-2 launched a technical investigation, identified a suspect and detained Pillay. Police said he allegedly admitted involvement in the assault during questioning.
Further interrogation reportedly led investigators to five cases, including a theft in the Sadar area, a housebreaking case in Mankapur and offences involving robbery and molestation in the Gittikhadan area.
Pillay was arrested and handed over to Sadar Police for further legal action. Investigators are verifying his alleged involvement in the other cases and examining the available evidence and possible recoveries.
The attack has also raised concerns about the safety of senior citizens, particularly those living in residential areas where an offender may gain access by posing as a visitor. Police are continuing their investigation to determine whether the accused acted alone or had assistance.
Coordinated action against organised and property crime
The five operations reflect the range of investigations being pursued by Nagpur Police, from suspected narcotics distribution and counterfeit currency production to armed robbery, jewellery theft and attacks on vulnerable residents.
According to the police, the cases were investigated by different police stations and Crime Branch teams using technical surveillance, CCTV footage, confidential information, digital evidence and coordination with police forces in other states.
The MD seizure and Gupta’s arrest are expected to provide further leads into the suspected drug supply chain and the Bhandewadi firing case. In the Wathoda matter, investigators are examining the intended use of the printing equipment and whether any counterfeit notes entered circulation. The robbery and assault investigations, meanwhile, have produced arrests and recoveries that police say will help establish the full extent of the alleged offences.
Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangre Patil, Joint Commissioner Navinchandra Reddy, DCP (Crime) Deepak Agrawal, ACP Vaibhav Jadhav and other senior officials attended the press conference announcing the action.
Although the police have reported significant progress, the allegations against the arrested persons remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings. The role of other suspects, the extent of the alleged networks and the evidentiary links between individual offences will have to be established through the legal process.
-Ravikant Kamble
