Mumbai: In the ongoing probe into the fake call-centre syndicate allegedly aided by senior police officials, the CBI last week recorded the statement of a key middleman who acted as a liaison between the fake call-centre operators and a network of police officers. The middleman, whose statement was accessed by the FPJ, made explosive disclosures, naming several IPS officers and their financial links to the multi-crore racket.
Reliable sources said on Wednesday that one of the IPS officers under the lens recently hosted a lavish dinner, which was attended by certain top politicians, businessmen and bureaucrats.
It is learnt that the five-hour questioning of the middleman centred on how money was collected from the fake call-centre operators in Nashik, Wada and Raigad and how kickbacks were routed to police officers. During the questioning, he named a former Inspector General of Police, a Superintendent of Police (SP) and other senior officials.
Sources said the CBI questioned him about suspected financial linkages, immovable assets and shell entities that may be connected to some senior officials. However, the agency has not shared any details, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation and its implications for cyber and financial crime enforcement. The FPJ attempted to contact the middleman for his response, but he remained unavailable.
According to sources, two major fake call centre cases are currently under CBI scrutiny.
Wada case (Palghar, July 2023)
In July 2023, the Local Crime Branch (LCB), Palghar, busted a call-centre racket in Wada that targeted foreign nationals, mainly Canadians, by posing as Amazon and other e-commerce executives and demanding cryptocurrency payments through allegedly fabricated claims of high-value orders or legal issues. Twenty-three persons were arrested but the alleged mastermind Suraj Singh managed to escape.
Suraj Singh obtained anticipatory bail from the Palghar court before the chargesheet was filed. He was later arrested by the Mumbai crime branch. He obtained bail in this case and later allegedly absconded.
Alibaug case (Raigad, August 2024)
In another case, In another case, a team led by the then Raigad Superintendent of Police raided a call-centre set-up inside Nature’s Edge Resort, Alibaug, arresting 33 persons. Among those held were alleged kingpin Sandeep Singh alias Sandy and his associate Vishal Yadav, both of whom are accused in the Igatpuri case as well. Sandy is currently absconding, while Yadav is in judicial custody.
Also Watch:
The CBI is examining possible linkages between the two operations and the alleged protection network that enabled them to function across multiple districts.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
