Nagpur: In a major crackdown on an alleged organised crime syndicate, the Nagpur Police have invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against a seven-member gang accused of cheating people through a fake cash-doubling scheme.
The action was taken on Friday following directions from Commissioner of Police Vishwas Nangre Patil, who ordered stringent measures against the gang in view of its alleged criminal history and continued involvement in organised offences.
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The latest case came to light after Nandanvan Police laid a trap on June 17 and caught members of the gang allegedly while they were cheating a Yavatmal resident, Nikhil Chauhan, of Rs 50,000.
According to police, the accused allegedly lured Chauhan with a promise that his money would be multiplied fourfold. To make the offer appear genuine, they allegedly showed him a fake bundle of currency notes and attempted to convince him that he would receive a substantially higher amount in return for his cash.
The police operation led to the arrest of Parvez Ahmed Md Sharif Patel (50), Avtar Singh, Shahrukh Khan, Ankit Wasnik, Ankit Suryavanshi, Mohammad Mannan and Adnan alias Ashu. A case was registered at Nandanvan Police Station in connection with the fraud.
Two other alleged members of the gang are still absconding and efforts are underway to trace them.
Police said the decision to invoke MCOCA was based not merely on the latest cheating case but also on the alleged criminal track record and organised activities of the gang members.
According to investigators, the gang leader and his associates have been named in multiple cases involving serious offences such as murder, attempt to murder, extortion, assault, cheating and illegal possession or use of arms.
Police said preventive action taken against some of the accused in the past had failed to stop their alleged criminal activities. Their continued involvement in organised offences prompted the police to recommend action under the stringent organised crime law.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Rashmitha Rao, along with the Nandanvan Police team, prepared the proposal for invoking MCOCA. The proposal was forwarded through the Sakkardara Division for necessary approval and action.
On August 7, police invoked Sections 3(1)(ii), 3(2) and 3(4) of the MCOCA against the accused. The invocation of the stringent law is expected to intensify the investigation and allow police to examine the gang’s wider network, criminal activities and alleged financial operations.
Police are now looking beyond the Rs 50,000 cheating case to determine whether the accused were involved in similar frauds and other organised crimes in Nagpur and neighbouring districts.
The further investigation has been entrusted to Senior Police Inspector Roshan Pandit.
With MCOCA now invoked, investigators are also expected to examine the gang’s previous criminal cases, associates, financial transactions and links with other offenders to establish the full extent of its alleged organised criminal operations.
