Toy trader triggered Seoni hawala scandal:Information reached constable and DSP; brother-in-law arrested after sister-in-law’s role surfaced in probe

New revelations continue to emerge in the Seoni hawala scandal. An SIT investigation has found that the entire sequence of events began with toy trader Panju Giri Goswami, who was linked to hawala networks. He first informed Crime Branch constable Pramod Soni about the movement of hawala money. From him, this information spread to other police officials and accused persons one by one. Investigators discovered that the chain of information started from the toy trader, reached constable Pramod Soni, then to Hawk Force DSP Pankaj Mishra posted in Balaghat, and eventually to DSP Pooja Pande and her network. Meanwhile, DSP Pooja Pande has filed a bail petition in the High Court. The matter is expected to be heard this week in the court of Justice Devnarayan Mishra. DSP’s brother-in-law arrested; became part of plan at sister-in-law’s request In this high-profile case, the SIT on Tuesday also arrested DSP Pooja Pande’s brother-in-law Virendra Dixit, a medical store operator from Jabalpur. Investigators found that he was aware of Pande’s activities. The inquiry revealed that he became involved in the plan at the request of his sister-in-law, and his role in hiding the looted money appeared suspicious. Based on these findings, SIT detained him. Four new arrests; total accused count rises to 15 On Tuesday, the SIT arrested four more individuals: According to IG Pramod Verma, 15 people have been arrested so far, and new links are emerging as the investigation progresses. He emphasised that the case is “more than hawala—this is a multi-crore loot case.” How the high-profile loot case unfolded On the night of 8–9 October, two drivers of Maharashtra businessman Sohanlal Parmar were transporting ₹2.96 crore from Satna to Jalna when Bandol Police stopped their car (MH 13 EK 3430). The policemen allegedly took them into the forest, interrogated them, seized the money, and later returned around ₹1.25 crore before releasing them. When the drivers reached Maharashtra, they narrated the entire incident to their employer, who immediately reached Seoni the next day. Instead of registering an FIR, the police allegedly kept them in custody, beat them, and threatened them before releasing them. Later, the victim filed a complaint at Kotwali. Initially, SDOP Pooja Pande denied any loot. However, as the case escalated, the DIG ordered an inquiry which revealed serious irregularities. IG then suspended nine police personnel, and the DGP later suspended Pande and ordered a detailed investigation. Recovery so far: ₹2.65 crore traced, ₹25 lakh still missing Joint operations by SIT and the police have recovered: Around ₹25 lakh is still missing, posing a major challenge for investigators. IG Pramod Verma stated that strict action will be taken against anyone involved—whether they are police officers or traders. “Those tarnishing the department’s image will not be spared,” he said. Who are the accused? The FIR includes charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita: The 11 arrested police personnel include: All accused have been shifted from Seoni Jail to Narsinghpur Jail.