CBI books IPS officer for ‘erroneous procedures’ linked to credit society cases

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against Bhagyashree Navtakke, a former Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Pune’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW), and others. The charges include criminal conspiracy and framing incorrect documents with intent to cause injury, stemming from alleged procedural irregularities in registering three cases in November 2020 related to the Bhaichand Hirachand Raisoni Multi-state Co-operative Credit Society (BHR), Jalgaon.
According to a complaint filed by the Pune police, which formed the basis of the CBI’s case, the EOW took up these cases despite each allegedly not meeting the ₹3 crore fraud threshold required for its investigation. The complaint suggests that Navtakke and others conspired to lodge these cases “within 24 hours, without applying any conscience” and after only a “short, primary inquiry”.
The complaint further alleges that two of the three cases were registered when the respective complainants were not physically present at the police stations. Despite the fraud allegations in each case falling below the ₹3 crore mark, the EOW allegedly took over the investigations without following the prevailing procedures for such crimes.
“In this case, it has been noticed that various acts are done like making selective accused, sending selective chargesheets, showing crime at a large-scale, conflict of interest by appointing concerned person as special public prosecutor, deliberate negligence towards serious evidence and falsifying official notes, among others,” the Pune police’s complaint stated.
The CBI case, registered on Wednesday based on a complaint from Nikhil Pingale, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Pune Crime Branch, includes charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. These relate to criminal conspiracy, public servants disobeying the law and framing incorrect documents with intent to cause injury, furnishing false information, and causing disappearance of evidence, among others.
The cases in question, registered in November 2020, concerned alleged irregularities in the sale of BHR properties through e-auction after the society’s liquidation due to its inability to refund depositors’ money.
Maharashtra police had previously sought clarifications from four Pune Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, including Navtakke, regarding their involvement in these cases. The state’s Crime Investigation Department (CID) also investigated the matter.
Interestingly, on June 19, the CBI had registered a related case based on a complaint from a businessman who, along with his father, claimed to have been wrongfully arrested in probes related to the November 2020 cases. This June case implicated several individuals, including former special public prosecutor Pravin Chavan.
Chavan’s name also appears in the CBI’s latest case, though not as an accused. The Pune police’s complaint alleges a recommendation to appoint him as a special public prosecutor in the November 2020 cases, despite an alleged “conflict of interest”.
The CBI’s investigation continues, with the agency taking over the probe from the Pune police’s August 27 First Information Report, at the request of the Maharashtra government.