Katni: Police in Madhya Pradesh’s Katni have arrested two men from Mumbai in connection with an alleged ₹1.5 crore fraud involving the firm of Vijayraghavgarh MLA Sanjay Satyendra Pathak. Both arrested suspects are reportedly directors of Sky Lime Private Limited. Investigators have found that around ₹1.16 crore of the allegedly defrauded money was transferred to the company’s bank account. Police are now examining the company’s financial transactions and its links with other people suspected to be involved in the case.
According to Rangnath Nagar police, the arrested suspects have been identified as Rizwan Malik, a resident of Palghar in Maharashtra, and Mohammad Abdul Jabbar alias Sahil, a resident of Nalasopara. Both were arrested in Maharashtra and brought to Katni. Investigators are questioning them to determine how the money deposited into the company’s account was subsequently used and what role the two directors allegedly played in the transaction.
Nine accused arrested so far
Police said nine accused have now been arrested in the case. One of them is Deepak Yadav, who was arrested from the Sipri area of Gwalior. He has been taken on remand and is being questioned by investigators. Information obtained during his interrogation has provided fresh leads, prompting police to expand the investigation beyond Katni.
Several police teams have been sent to other districts and states to trace people suspected of being connected to the alleged fraud. Investigators suspect that the arrested accused may have been operating as part of a larger network and that another person could have been coordinating the alleged fraud and movement of the money.
Police are now working to identify individuals connected with the company, bank accounts and financial transfers allegedly used in the case.
Sky Lime company’s bank account under scrutiny
The discovery that around ₹1.16 crore allegedly reached the bank account of Sky Lime Private Limited has placed the company’s financial records under scrutiny. Investigators are examining bank statements, incoming and outgoing transactions, withdrawals and subsequent transfers to establish the complete money trail.
Police are also investigating whether the company’s account was deliberately used to receive allegedly defrauded funds or whether its directors were aware of the source of the money. The investigation will also establish where the funds went after being transferred from the company’s account.
Tracing the complete financial trail could help investigators identify additional individuals who may have facilitated the movement or concealment of the alleged proceeds of fraud.
Police focus on suspected mastermind
The biggest challenge before investigators is to identify and reach the alleged mastermind behind the operation. Officials suspect that some of the arrested individuals may have had limited roles, such as facilitating transactions or providing access to bank accounts, while the larger operation may have been controlled by another person.
Police are using technical evidence, banking records and information obtained during interrogation to identify the wider network. Investigators are also examining whether the alleged fraud in Katni has links with similar operations or groups active in other states.
The role of every accused will be established based on evidence collected during the investigation rather than merely on the basis of financial transactions or associations with the company.
Investigation expands to other states
Given the scale of the alleged fraud, police have expanded the investigation beyond Katni and Madhya Pradesh. Teams have been dispatched to other states to locate suspected associates and gather information about financial transactions connected with the case.
Officials said further arrests are possible based on leads emerging from the ongoing interrogation and investigation. Police are also examining the digital and financial links between the accused to determine whether the alleged operation involved multiple bank accounts, intermediaries or entities.
The investigation is currently focused on tracing the complete flow of the allegedly defrauded ₹1.5 crore, establishing the role of Sky Lime Private Limited and identifying the suspected mastermind. Investigators are trying to determine how the alleged fraud was planned, how many people were involved and how the money was moved through different bank accounts.
The arrests mark a significant development in the case, but investigators are yet to establish the complete network and the individual or individuals who allegedly coordinated the operation.
