Mumbai: EOW Interrogates Female Police Officer in Fraud Cases Linked to Husband

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) interrogated a female police officer for over an hour on Monday in connection with two fraud cases involving her husband, Purushottam Chavan. The officer was summoned as a witness and not as an accused, sources confirmed. However, her statement was not recorded on Monday, and she is expected to appear again for further questioning.

The investigation revolves around allegations that Purushottam Chavan and his associates defrauded 20 individuals of approximately ₹24.78 crore under the pretext of providing government quota houses at discounted rates in Mumbai, Thane, and Pune. The EOW had earlier registered the first case against Chavan and 11 others for orchestrating this scam. Additionally, a second case was filed against Chavan, Narayan Sawant, and Yashwant Pawar following a complaint from a 48-year-old businessman, Ravasahib Desai, based in Surat, who operates a textile business.

According to the complaint, between March 2015 and April 2024, Chavan and his associates deceived businessmen by promising government land at reduced rates and facilitating Floor Space Index (FSI) rights under Pune and Thane municipal corporations. They also allegedly assured contracts for supplying T-shirts and hoodies to the Maharashtra Police Academy in Nashik. The accused reportedly accepted money directly into their bank accounts, promising lucrative deals that never materialized.

To make the transactions appear legitimate, Chavan and his associates allegedly forged agreements and made them seem officially registered at the Thane-5 Sub-Registrar’s Office. The complainants were given counterfeit documents, but despite paying large sums, they neither received the promised land nor got their money back.

Following the complaint, the Colaba police registered a case against the accused under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating, forgery, impersonation, and criminal conspiracy. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are expected to record further statements as they continue to uncover details of the alleged fraud.