Six Madhya Pradesh Cops, Including SDOP Pooja Pandey, Nabbed in Rs 3 Crore Seoni Hawala Scandal

The scandal erupted when Seoni police seized nearly Rs 3 crore from suspect Sohan Parmar during a raid in Nagpur. Shockingly, the official seizure report listed only Rs 1.45 crore, with the missing funds allegedly pocketed by corrupt insiders. Senior officials were kept in the dark, raising red flags about internal collusion.

Acting on directives from DGP Kailash Makwana, an FIR was lodged at Lakhanwara Police Station against 11 personnel under key IPC sections: 310(2) for robbery, 126(2) for wrongful detention, 140(3) for abduction, and 61(2) for criminal conspiracy. All accused were swiftly suspended, signaling a zero-tolerance crackdown on graft within the force.

Among those in custody are SDOP Pooja Pandey, SI Arpit Bhairam, and constables Makhan Inwati, Yogendra Chaurasiya, Jagdish Yadav, and Neeraj Rajput from Bandol station. Earlier, on Monday, two hawala operators Akash Jain (Rs 1 crore recovered) and Aman Gurnani (Rs 25 lakh) were apprehended in Nagpur, bringing total recoveries to Rs 2.7 crore. Probes continue to hunt the remaining cash trail.

The timeline unfolded rapidly: On October 9, discrepancies surfaced, prompting IG Pramod Verma to suspend nine officers that night, including SI Bhairam. By October 10, DGP Makwana axed SDOP Pandey amid mounting evidence of a cover-up.

CM Yadav, addressing the uproar, reiterated: "No one is above the law—be it DSP or constable. Strict action will deter such betrayals." This case underscores Madhya Pradesh's push for police reforms amid rising hawala threats. As investigations deepen, residents demand swift trials to restore faith in the badge.