Third Accused Arrested In ₹3-Crore Defence Project Cheating Case By Mumbai Crime Branch

Mumbai: The Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) of the Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested the third accused in the ₹3-crore cheating case linked to a sensitive government defence construction project. The arrested accused has been identified as Vivek Kumar Gautam Singh (39), a native of Ghaziabad district, Uttar Pradesh. Singh was arrested after his anticipatory bail application was rejected by the sessions court.

Visit saltysenoritaaz.com for more information.

Two Accused Arrested Earlier

Earlier in March, the AEC had arrested the main accused, Dr. Ajay Kumar Sharma (40), from his residence in Noida. Subsequently, another accused, Jawahar Singh (64), was arrested from Naya Nagar in Mira Road for allegedly assisting Sharma in the fraud. Both accused have since been granted bail.

According to police sources, the conspiracy dates back to January 2025. Investigators alleged that Asian Construction Company (ACC), its partners Ajit Singh Yadav, Surendra Yadav and Dayawati Yadav, Vice President (Contracts) Vivek Singh, Dr. Ajay Kumar Sharma, Hari Pandey, and Jawahar Singh entered into a criminal conspiracy to cheat contractors by falsely promising sub-contracts for a sensitive Military Engineering Services (MES) project near Poisar Metro Station in Kandivali.

Contractor Allegedly Duped Through False Award Letter

Police said the accused allegedly induced Nashik-based Tutek Vision Industries Pvt. Ltd. to invest in the project by issuing a Letter of Award on April 7, 2025, followed by a formal agreement on June 12, 2025, despite allegedly knowing that the project had already been awarded to Electrocool Engineering under a separate agreement executed on May 30, 2025.

Investigators claim that Vivek Singh signed the agreement with Tutek Vision Industries despite being aware that the same defence project had already been contracted to another company. Police are probing whether Singh received any financial benefit for signing the agreement and are tracing the alleged flow of money.

Custodial Interrogation Sought

According to investigators, custodial interrogation of Singh is necessary to determine why he signed the contract documents, whether he was financially compensated, where the alleged proceeds were transferred or spent, and whether any other individuals were involved in the conspiracy.

The investigation has also revealed that Jawahar Singh, during police custody, allegedly stated that the disputed agreement with Tutek Vision Industries was signed by Vivek Singh. Police further said handwriting and signature samples of the accused will be collected and compared with the agreements executed between Asian Construction Company and Electrocool Engineering on May 30, 2025, and between Asian Construction Company and Tutek Vision Industries on June 12, 2025.

Security Angle Under Investigation

Investigators suspect that the accused knowingly executed a sub-contract agreement for the defence project without obtaining mandatory approvals from the Indian military authorities, despite being aware that such projects do not permit appointment of sub-contractors. Police are also examining whether the alleged acts amounted to cheating the Military Engineering Services (MES) and whether there were any security implications connected with the sensitive defence infrastructure project.

According to the complaint filed by Suresh Jagannath Badgujar (56), Managing Director of Tutek Vision Industries Pvt. Ltd., the accused allegedly cheated his company of nearly ₹2.97 crore on the pretext of awarding a construction contract for a government project in Kandivali.

Badgujar stated that his company, established in Nashik in 2017, undertakes industrial infrastructure projects across India, including installation of machinery, pipelines, chemical storage tanks and industrial construction works.

Investment Made After Project Claims

According to the FIR, in January 2025, Badgujar and his Finance Director Deepak Mate were informed by the company's Chennai-based Project Director Mrigan Shekhar about a ₹90-crore government construction project for a new building near Poisar Metro Station, Kandivali. The accused allegedly represented that Asian Construction Company had secured the project and invited Tutek Vision Industries to participate as a partner contractor after investing around ₹8-10 crore.

Congress MLA Amin Patel Seeks BMC Chief’s Intervention Over Delays In Birth Certificate Corrections

Following site visits and verification of the company's credentials, Tutek Vision Industries allegedly transferred ₹1.14 crore through a demand draft on April 2, 2025, to Asian Construction Company. After receiving a Letter of Award and signing the agreement, the accused allegedly demanded further payments towards royalty, bank guarantee margin money and other formalities.

The complainant company subsequently transferred ₹74 lakh on July 7, 2025, and ₹1.09 crore on August 7, 2025, to the account of Infra Asian, a firm allegedly controlled by Dr. Ajay Kumar Sharma.Police said that despite collecting the money, the accused neither handed over the construction site nor permitted the complainant to commence work. Subsequent inquiries allegedly revealed that the same defence project had already been awarded to Electrocool Engineering, after the company had allegedly paid ₹4.80 crore.

When Badgujar confronted Sharma in Delhi in October 2025, Sharma allegedly admitted that the money had been invested in other projects and refused to refund it. He also allegedly threatened Badgujar with dire consequences and warned him against approaching the police, claiming that a gangster named Romesh Sharma would "deal with him." Based on Badgujar's complaint lodged at Samta Nagar Police Station on December 11, police registered a case against Ajit Singh Yadav, Surendra Yadav, Dayawati Yadav, Dr. Ajay Kumar Sharma, Vivek Singh, Hari Pandey and Jawahar Singh under charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal intimidation.

The Anti-Extortion Cell is continuing its investigation and suspects that several contractors may have been duped by using the same defence project as a pretext. Police are also probing whether additional accused were involved in the alleged conspiracy and whether there were any larger security implications arising from the misuse of a sensitive defence infrastructure project.

To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/

Read full story at source