Mira-Bhayandar: As many as 27 cases have been transferred to the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) for investigations by various police stations under the jurisdiction of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) Police Commissionerate in the past 21 months between January 2023 and September 2024.

Amongst the 27 cases, the Kashimira police station tops the list with six followed by four, three and two cases registered at Mira Road, Arnala and Bhayandar police stations. Headed by the assistant commissioner of police, the EOW deals with cases like bank frauds, financial scams, multi-level marketing schemes, Ponzi schemes, chit fund scams, misappropriation of government funds, counterfeit currency cases, and other major economic crimes involving large-scale financial irregularities.

Fraud cases of above Rs. 3 crores registered with the police are transferred to the EOW for further investigations following orders by senior officers. Headed by the assistant commissioner of police, the EOW deals with cases like bank frauds, financial scams, multi-level marketing schemes, Ponzi schemes, chit fund scams, misappropriation of government funds, counterfeit currency cases, and other major economic crimes involving large-scale financial irregularities.

Fraud cases of above Rs. 3 crores registered with police are transferred to the EOW for further investigation following orders by senior officers.

As per statistics sourced out under the Right to Information (ATI) Act by social activist-Krishna Gupta, 43 matters including spill-over cases, some as old as 12 years are still pending with the EOW. On the other hand, the EOW has filed charge sheets against more than 50 persons (including arrested and wanted accused) related to 18 FIR’s registered at various police stations since 2023.

Apart from offences like cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy to commit financial frauds, the the investigation of FIR's transferred to the EOW range from offences falling under the- Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) Act, 1999, Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) Act, 2016, Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act,1966, Maharashtra Ownership of Flats Act (MOFA), 1963, Indian Telegraph Act,1985, Information Technology Act, Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act,2019, Maharashtra Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017.

After the elevation of the existing rural format of the Thane and Palghar police to a combined MBVV Police Commissionerate in 2020, the number of police stations have gradually increased from 13 to 19.