Corrupt cop’s network faster than CBI team……..Poornima Swaminathan
Source alerts police superintendent’s family of his arrest, kin move out ill-gotten wealth and crucial papers from home before CBI raid
Source alerts police superintendent’s family of his arrest, kin move out ill-gotten wealth and crucial papers from home before CBI raid
A RAIDING team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was sent on a wild goose chase after setting a trap and arresting a superintendent of police in the Central Excise Department.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the CBI had received several complaints about the corrupt activities of Sopan Wadgane, posted to Division II in Navi Mumbai.
Officials expected to discover much wealth at his home, but the raid that followed his arrest yielded nothing.
Rummaging through one possible hiding place after another in Wadgane’s residence, the CBI officials met with no success as all lockers had been emptied.
As soon as the arrest was made, an insider had alerted Wadgane’s relatives at home.
The relatives had wasted no time in removing cash, jewellery, and bank investment and property-related documents from their home and hiding it all in a garments shop in Dadar.
Stash uncovered
After four days of constant interrogation, Wadgane finally spilled the beans. He directed the CBI officials to the shop, from where property documents and valuables worth over Rs 1 crore were recovered.
The cash and jewellery was dumped into big plastic bags and kept under wraps in the shop. Among other things, the CBI recovered Rs 12 lakh in cash, and gold jewellery and precious gems.
Flats, bank balance
“We also found property documents of two flats, one in Kharghar worth Rs 25 lakh and the other in Jogeshwari that is valued at Rs 9 lakh,” said a CBI official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The CBI also traced at least 20 bank accounts and found Wadgane’s bank balance to be at least Rs 65 lakh.
“We have also recovered papers for bank investments, shares and other bonds valued at Rs 30 lakh,” said the official.
More discoveries
The CBI is now trying to find out who tipped off Wadgane’s relatives from within the department.
“We are interrogating Wadgane to get more details about his assets and property investments that he may have made outside Mumbai,” said the official.
Wadgane is also likely to booked under various sections of the Disproportionate Assets Act.