A major corruption scandal has rocked Madhya Pradesh Police after ₹2.96 crore in hawala money was allegedly looted by a team of officers during a highway checking operation. An FIR has been filed against 11 policemen, including DSP Pooja Pandey, for offences of dacoity, abduction, criminal conspiracy, and wrongful restraint.
According to officials, the accused officers were posted in Seoni district. Acting on Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s strict instructions, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to probe the case. So far, eight police personnel, including the DSP, have been arrested, while three others remain on the run.
The case dates back to the night of October 8, when the police intercepted a vehicle on NH-44 between Nagpur and Jabalpur. The team reportedly seized ₹2.96 crore suspected to be hawala money. However, instead of depositing the cash in the government treasury, the officers allegedly conspired to split the money among themselves and let the vehicle go without official action.
The incident came to light after a hawala operator filed a complaint with senior authorities, claiming that the police had confiscated his money and later returned only part of it. Following the complaint, the entire team was suspended, and an internal probe confirmed large-scale irregularities.
During interrogation, one of the arrested officers reportedly admitted that ₹1.45 crore was presented as the official seizure amount, while the remaining sum was misappropriated. The police have also recovered ₹1.25 crore from two Nagpur-based associates linked to the case.
The arrested officers include DSP Pooja Pandey, SI Arpit Bhairam, Head Constable Makhan Inwati, Constables Yogendra Chourasia, Neeraj Rajput, Jagdish Yadav, Gunman Subhash Sadafal, and Kedar Baghel. The absconding personnel have been identified as Head Constable Rajesh Janghela and Constables Ravindra Uike and Ritesh.
DIG (Chhindwara Range) Rakesh Kumar Singh said the arrested officers would be produced before court soon. Meanwhile, CM Mohan Yadav reiterated that “no one, regardless of rank or position, will be spared if found guilty of breaking the law.”
The case has triggered outrage across the state, highlighting deep-rooted corruption within the police system and raising concerns about accountability in handling seized cash and illegal transactions.
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