4 including Balaghat DSP held in Seoni Hawala robbery case:Crime Branch probe reveals officer tipped off jailed SDOP of money; senior officers’ role also under suspicion

A major hawala loot case in Seoni has led to more arrests. The Jabalpur Crime Branch arrested four more people. They include a DSP and a police constable. This case involves the theft of Rs 3 crore. More arrests made The Jabalpur Crime Branch made the arrests on Tuesday. Those arrested are: Police remand All four suspects are in police remand for two days. This means police can question them. The arrests happened after new evidence came to light. Previously, 11 police personnel were arrested. This includes former Seoni SDOP Pooja Pandey. Pooja Pandey is in Rewa Jail. The other 10 officers are in Narsinghpur Jail. Investigation uncovers involvement The Crime Branch investigated the case. They used technical information. They found the involvement of the new suspects. Important details were revealed during questioning. ‘Pankaj Sir’ Investigation officer Jitendra Singh said the suspects were part of the robbery plan. He mentioned that the main suspect, Pooja Pandey, had saved Pankaj Mishra’s number as ‘Pankaj Sir’ in her phone. Ongoing investigation The investigation is still ongoing. New details are emerging. The role of Pooja Pandey is under scrutiny. Questions are being asked about senior police officers. DSP provided information Pankaj Mishra, a DSP from Balaghat, gave Pooja Pandey information. He told her about the hawala money. This led to his arrest. Police seized about Rs 3 crore. However, they only reported Rs 1.45 crore. Initial suspensions After the incident, 10 policemen were suspended. This included Station In-charge Arpit Bhairam. Later, SDOP Pooja Pandey was also suspended. An FIR was filed against the 11 policemen. The charges include dacoity, kidnapping, and criminal conspiracy. DSP’s tip-off DSP Pankaj Mishra informed Pooja Pandey about the hawala money. A constable from Jabalpur had told him about it. Pooja Pandey then acted on this information. The businessman offered Pooja Pandey a commission to save his money. He started with 5%. He increased it to 25%, which is about Rs 75 lakhs. Pooja Pandey refused the offer. Excuse to seniors Pooja Pandey made an excuse to senior officers. She said her child was sick. This was when she was seizing the hawala money. She later called the ASP, saying she could come if needed. This conversation is now evidence against her. Money found in cupboard The next day, the businessman complained about the robbery. ASP Deepak Mishra went to Pooja Pandey’s office. She opened her cupboard and took out Rs 1.45 crore. The money was seized. SP under suspicion SP Sunil Mehta’s role is also under suspicion. He said the conduct of the DSP and policemen was suspicious. An audio recording has raised questions about his involvement. The audio allegedly contains a conversation between ASP Deepak Mishra, Pooja Pandey, and a hawala trader.