The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Bhagyashree Navtake, a senior officer in the Indian Police Service, over alleged irregularities linked to the ₹1,200 crore scandal involving the Jalgaon-based Bhaichand Hirachand Raisoni (BHR) State Cooperative Credit Society. This case dates back to the period between 2020 and 2022.
The Maharashtra government had requested a CBI investigation into the matter in August 2024, leading to the registration of the FIR earlier this week.
Navtake, who is currently the superintendent of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) in Chandrapur, previously led the special investigation team as the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in the Economic Offences Wing, tasked with examining cases related to the alleged scam.
In 2020, three cases were initiated concerning the fraud at police stations in Alandi, Deccan, and Shikrapur, accompanied by coordinated raids in various locations in Jalgaon. Allegations against Navtake include exerting pressure on police officers in Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune rural areas to register cases.
According to the CBI’s FIR, a review of the government’s directions and the Criminal Investigation Department’s inquiry revealed that Navtake and others filed three offenses at different locations within 24 hours without proper diligence, following only brief preliminary inquiries. Notably, the complainants involved in the cases registered at the Alandi and Deccan stations were not present in person.
The FIR also points out that despite the three cases involving fraud amounts of less than ₹3 crore each, the Economic Offences Wing proceeded with the investigations without adhering to the proper procedural protocols. It suggests that the raids were conducted by dispatching joint teams outside Pune city limits and claims that the investigation process was manipulated by unduly influencing police units in Pimpri Chinchwad and Pune.
Additionally, the FIR highlights that there were selective accusations, biased charge sheets, misrepresentation of the scale of crime, conflicts of interest in appointing a special public prosecutor, neglect of critical evidence, and the falsification of official records.
Previously, in August 2024, city police had already lodged an FIR against Navtake based on a CID report that cited procedural violations during her leadership of the Economic Offences Wing in Pune.
