Mumbai: The Maharashtra Police on Saturday arrested Kishor Sawla, the prime accused in the alleged Rs 400-crore Chorla Ghat cash heist case, after he surrendered before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nashik rural police, officials said.
Background
Sawla, a Thane-based builder and businessman, had been absconding for several days in connection with the case, which centres on the alleged robbery of two container trucks purportedly carrying demonetised currency notes near Chorla Ghat in Karnataka’s Belagavi district in October last year.
Following his surrender, Sawla was taken into SIT custody and produced before a local court, which remanded him to police custody till February 4.
Case Trigger
The case surfaced after a Nashik-based businessman lodged a complaint alleging kidnapping and extortion linked to the disappearance of the cash consignment. During the course of the investigation, Sawla emerged as the key suspect, with the police claiming that he was allegedly involved in the planning and subsequent negotiations following the incident.
As per the complaint, Sawla is described as being closely associated with a Thane-based political figure and is alleged to have played a key role in facilitating the movement of approximately Rs 400 crore in demonetised Rs 2,000 notes from Karnataka to a Gujarat-based ashram in Ahmedabad for conversion into legal tender. The funds were allegedly earmarked for expenditure linked to Maharashtra civic elections and related political manoeuvring. However, the cash was reportedly stolen before it could be deployed.
The alleged heist is stated to have taken place on October 16 at Chorla Ghat, along the Maharashtra–Karnataka border.
Probe Status
A senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the political angle remains part of the investigation but stressed that the probe is being conducted strictly on the basis of evidence. “The questioning of Sawla is expected to help establish the origin of the large cash sum, the locations in Karnataka where it was allegedly stored, and the identity of its beneficiaries,” the official said. He added that the inquiry would also clarify whether a heist actually took place or whether the case involves cheating or other offences. Investigators noted that the probe has taken multiple turns, with each arrested accused presenting a different version of events, and that call data records, digital evidence, and documents collected so far have not conclusively corroborated any single narrative.
Police sources said the SIT came across call records, audio clips, and details of meetings allegedly linking Sawla with an Ahmedabad-based hawala operator, political intermediaries, arrested accused Jayesh Kadam, and other suspects. Investigators claim these individuals were allegedly involved in the Rs 400-crore heist, the illegal movement of funds, and were tasked by Sawla with kidnapping the complainant, Sandeep Patil, to recover the missing cash following the disappearance of the consignment.
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