Four, Including Balaghat DSP, Arrested in Seoni Hawala Loot Case

Digital Desk

The Seoni hawala robbery case, involving the alleged theft of ₹3 crore, widened on Tuesday with the Jabalpur Crime Branch arresting four more individuals, including a serving DSP and a police constable. The arrests follow fresh technical evidence indicating that the officers were directly involved in planning and facilitating the crime.

Those taken into custody are Balaghat DSP Pankaj Mishra, Cyber Cell Constable Pramod Soni, Panju Giri Goswami and Virendra Dixit, the brother-in-law of suspended SDOP Pooja Pandey. All four have been remanded to two-day police custody for interrogation.

With the latest arrests, the total number of police personnel held in the case has risen to 11, including former Seoni SDOP Pooja Pandeycurrently lodged in Rewa Jail and 10 other officers imprisoned in Narsinghpur. The crackdown follows a series of internal suspensions, including those of Station In-charge Arpit Bhairam and Pooja Pandey herself.

According to investigators, DSP Mishra allegedly tipped off Pooja Pandey about the movement of hawala cash after receiving information from a Jabalpur constable. Crime Branch officials said Pandey had saved Mishra’s number in her phone under “Pankaj Sir,” a detail that investigators say reflects his involvement. Officers recovered ₹1.45 crore from Pandey’s office cupboard the day after the alleged robbery, though the seized amount was reportedly much higher.

Interrogations have revealed that the businessman transporting the money had offered Pandey a commission starting at 5% and later raised to 25% to protect the funds, an offer she allegedly declined. Investigators claim she misled senior officers, citing her child’s illness as an excuse while the operation was underway, a conversation now part of the case evidence.

The role of senior officers, including SP Sunil Mehta, is also under scrutiny after an audio clip surfaced allegedly featuring conversations between ASP Deepak Mishra, Pandey and a hawala trader. Officials say more arrests are likely as the probe continues.