Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) Mumbai zonal office has arrested Purushottam Chavan, the husband of a senior IPS officer in Maharashtra, in a ₹263 crore income tax return (ITR) fraud case. According to sources, objectionable documents related to several properties were found during searches at the IPS officer’s house.
Earlier arrests and investigation:
- Four accused had been arrested earlier in this case.
- The arrested persons, Tanaji Mandal Adhikari, Bhushan Patil, Rajesh Shetty (who is in judicial custody), and Rajesh Brijlal Batreja, are in ED custody.
- ED had initiated an investigation based on a CBI Delhi FIR against Tanaji Mandal Adhikari and other accused for fraudulently creating and issuing TDS refunds in collusion with the Income Tax Department.
- ED’s investigation revealed that Rajesh Brijlal Batreja and Purushottam Chavan were in regular contact and exchanged objectionable messages related to hawala transactions and diversion of POCs.
- On May 19, a search operation was also conducted at Purushottam Chavan’s residential premises, during which several property documents, foreign currency, and mobile phones were recovered and seized.
- It was also found that Purushottam Chavan had tried to obstruct the investigation by destroying evidence.
Key points:
- Purushottam Chavan, husband of a senior IPS officer in Maharashtra, arrested in ₹263 crore ITR fraud case.
- ED had initiated an investigation based on a CBI Delhi FIR against Tanaji Mandal Adhikari and other accused for fraudulently creating and issuing TDS refunds.
- Investigation revealed that Purushottam Chavan was in regular contact with Rajesh Brijlal Batreja and exchanged objectionable messages related to hawala transactions and diversion of POCs.
- Evidence suggests that Purushottam Chavan tried to obstruct the investigation by destroying evidence.
