THE Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police has taken Purushottam Chavan, husband of IPS officer Rashmi Karandikar, into custody in connection with a financial fraud amounting to Rs 24.78 crore. Purushottam Chavan was previously arrested in the case, but the EOW has now formally secured his custody for further investigation into the ongoing probe.
According to officials, Purushottam Chavan is accused of orchestrating a complex fraud scheme involving large monetary transactions and alleged deceit. The case dates back to between March 2015 and April 2024 and involves the alleged duping of at least 20 individuals under the pretext of providing government quota flats in Mumbai, Thane, and Pune at concessional rates. Chavan allegedly exploited his purported connections within the government to gain the victims’ trust.
Purushottam Chavan and 11 others are named in the first FIR related to the flat scam. The officer added that Chavan’s custodial interrogation is crucial to uncovering the full scope of the conspiracy and identifying other potential accused. In addition to this case, a second FIR has been filed against Chavan, in which he allegedly defrauded a Surat-based businessman and others of Rs 7.42 crore. He is accused of promising access to government land at subsidized rates and offering contracts related to the Maharashtra Police Academy in Nashik. These promises were never fulfilled.
Chavan was already in judicial custody after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in May 2024 in connection with a Rs 263-crore Income Tax Refund (ITR) scam. Gujarat Police also arrested him last month in a separate cheating case.
Sources revealed that Chavan’s wife, IPS officer Rashmi Karandikar, was also questioned by EOW officials. She was reportedly asked about a Rs 3 crore transaction made into her ICICI Bank account, allegedly from her husband. However, she has not been named as an accused in any of the cases so far.
The high-profile nature of the case—given Karandikar’s senior position in the police force—has attracted significant public and media attention. The EOW has indicated that investigations are ongoing, and further arrests or interrogations may follow as the financial trail is examined more deeply.
Further updates are awaited as the investigation progresses.