Nagpur: In a major breakthrough in the Rs 155 crore financial fraud case, the Crime Branch of Nagpur Police on Tuesday raided the office of prime accused Santosh alias Bunty Rampal Shahu and exposed a sprawling racket involving shell companies, hawala operations, and large-scale money laundering.
The raid took place at Shahu’s office in the Small Factory Area in the city, located just behind his residence, where he was operating a bogus firm named Sakshi Foods. Investigators seized critical evidence, including bank passbooks, investment documents, and papers directly tied to the scam. Terming the haul as “evidentiary proof,” officials said it would help trace the money trail and establish the scam’s modus operandi.
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20 May 2025
Police have frozen eight bank accounts belonging to Shahu and his family members, and a forensic audit is now underway.
According to police sources, Shahu ran the operation with a team of around 15 members, including chartered accountants and commerce graduates. ID cards of all staffers have been seized for verification. The office reportedly functioned as a hub for businessmen, online gaming operators, and hawala agents seeking to convert unaccounted cash into legitimate funds via fake billing and shell firms.
Two companies– Kshitij Enterprises and Awadh Enterprises—emerged as key players in the racket. While Kshitij Enterprises facilitated suspicious transactions for 113 fake entities, Awadh Enterprises handled 57 such firms. These companies were allegedly used to launder and reroute massive sums through hawala channels. Police suspect the involvement of a broader financial syndicate.
In a shocking revelation, one of the identity theft victims, Biswajit Sudhanshu Roy from West Bengal, said he was lured by a fake job offer and later found that Kshitij Enterprises had been fraudulently registered in his name. A similar case of identity misuse was found in the creation of Awadh Enterprises, which processed Rs 59.51 crore in transactions between September and December 2024 without the real person’s knowledge.
Apart from Bunty Shahu (52), four other accused have been arrested:
• Jayesh Rampal Shahu (36) – Kapil Heights, Imambada
• Brijkishore Ramvilas Maniyar (59) – Shankar Nagar
• Rishi Hitesh Lakhani (21) – Shastri Nagar
• Anand Vinod Harde (33) – Surya Nagar, Kalamna
All are currently being interrogated for their roles in the fraudulent operations.
Meanwhile, the Crime Branch has detected three more bogus firms– Prime Traders, Trisha Traders, and Ashish Traders — allegedly registered using forged identities. These companies alone were used to route over Rs 160 crore in fake transactions.
Officials warn that the total scam amount could be far higher, potentially running into thousands of crores as the investigation unfolds.
