Mumbai: The Cuffe Parade Police in Mumbai have registered a criminal case against retired Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Vivek Batra, his wife Priyanka Batra, and two private bank employees for their alleged involvement in a money laundering scheme using forged documents.
The case was filed following a complaint by Prakash Rana, a former employee of Batra, who alleged that the retired officer misused his personal documents—initially collected under the pretext of opening a provident fund account—to set up multiple shell companies and bank accounts for laundering illicit funds.
Bank Employees Also Implicated
The two bank employees named in the FIR are Nirav Taj and Ajit Mishra, both of whom worked at a Colaba-based private bank. They allegedly assisted in opening the fraudulent accounts used for channeling illicit money.
According to the complaint, Rana was asked to resign in 2023. Upon his refusal, Batra allegedly retaliated by locking Rana’s family inside a servant quarter, an incident that required Delhi Police intervention for their rescue.
History of Legal Troubles
This is not the first time Vivek Batra and his wife have faced serious criminal charges:
- In 2023, the couple was booked for allegedly cheating a Lower Parel trader of ₹50 lakh.
- In 2017, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case against them for allegedly possessing disproportionate assets worth ₹6.79 crore.
Sections Invoked Under New Penal Code
The four accused have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including:
- Section 318 – Cheating
- Section 336 – Forgery
- Section 338 – Forgery of valuable security
- Section 340 – Forgery involving electronic records
Police have begun investigations into the shell companies and accounts allegedly created using fraudulent means. The case raises serious concerns about identity misuse, collusion within banking systems, and repeated financial misconduct by individuals with a history of white-collar crime.
