SHAKEEL AKHTER
Ranchi, August 29: The Jharkhand Income Tax Department’s investigation wing has uncovered a racket involving a Gujarati couple who travelled across the country to fraudulently claim large sums of black money seized by investigative agencies.
According to officials, Neena Shah and her husband Kamlesh Rajnikant Shah used forged documents to present themselves as the rightful owners of seized cash. After securing release of the money, they allegedly deducted their commission before returning the remainder to the actual holders of the unaccounted wealth.
Robbery Leads to Breakthrough
The case came to light following the robbery of ₹5 crore in Giridih district on June 21, 2023. At midnight, armed men intercepted a Creta SUV in the Jamua police station area, allegedly transporting cash from a Patna-based company to Kolkata.
The robbers fled with the cash but abandoned the vehicle shortly after. During the investigation, police recovered ₹4.01 crore. However, enquiries revealed that the purported company involved, DY Company of Patna, did not exist at its registered address.
Jamua police subsequently alerted the Income Tax Investigation Wing in Ranchi, which requested that the recovered cash be transferred to its custody for further probe. The police refused, citing its role as evidence in the robbery case.
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Legal Battle in Court
The Income Tax Department then petitioned the Sessions Court in Giridih, seeking custody of the seized funds. During proceedings, Neena Shah filed a claim through her authorised representative, asserting ownership of the ₹4.01 crore.
Her husband, Kamlesh Rajnikant Shah, argued in court that the money belonged to M/S MECTEC, a Patna-based firm, and was being transferred to a company in Kolkata. He demanded that the seized funds be released to him, even citing Supreme Court judgments in support.
The Income Tax Department strongly opposed these claims, suspecting fabrication. Despite repeated summons, Neena Shah failed to appear before tax officials or appoint legal counsel, though the vehicle’s driver, Mayur Singh, cooperated and provided key information.
Fake Documents and Bogus Companies
Subsequent raids and interrogations exposed the Shahs’ modus operandi. Investigators discovered that their companies had produced forged invoices and fake transaction records, showing large-scale sales of fruits, vegetables, milk, and animal feed worth crores of rupees to legitimise the seized cash.
Neena Shah eventually admitted that, after successfully reclaiming money seized by authorities, she would deduct a commission and return the rest to the real owners of the black money.
Court Verdict
After months of hearings, Additional Sessions Judge Hariom Kumar delivered judgment on August 22 2025. The court ruled that the ₹4.01 crore recovered by the police did not belong to M/S MECTEC and ordered it to be deposited into the Income Tax Department’s government account.
The ruling has enabled investigators to pursue the real sources of the seized funds and further unravel the network involved in laundering black money through fraudulent claims.