In a major crackdown against the interest-loan mafia, Pratapgarh police raided multiple hideouts of alleged loan shark Bhagwanlal Prajapat in Bhanawata village. The operation led to the seizure of a large quantity of gold and silver ornaments, vehicles, agricultural equipment, and documents related to illegal transactions.
Operation Details
The action was carried out under the direction of District Superintendent of Police B. Aditya as part of a special campaign targeting criminals and those involved in illegal extortion. Acting on intelligence that an interest-loan mafia was exploiting villagers in Bhanawata town under Kesariyawad police station limits, a police team conducted simultaneous raids at the accused's hideouts.
Seized Items
During the raids at Bhagwanlal Prajapat's residential house and under-construction mansion, officers recovered a significant amount of gold and silver ornaments, luxury cars, tractors, and incriminating documents. The seized items include:
- 32 tola of gold jewellery and 47.5 kilograms of silver ornaments, which were mortgaged by rural women and men.
- 28 vehicles, including luxury cars and tractors.
- Heavy machinery and an electronic money-counting machine.
- 67 stamp papers of denominations 50, 100, and 500 rupees, allegedly forcibly signed by villagers.
- 16 blank signed cheques, three cheques with amount and signature, six original RC of vehicles, five bill books, two ledgers, four bank passbooks, seven account diaries, four ATM cards, and two Apple iPhones.
Modus Operandi
Police investigations revealed that Bhagwanlal and his son Tulsiram exploited the helplessness of illiterate villagers. They provided loans at exorbitant interest rates and kept borrowers' gold ornaments, land papers, agricultural equipment, and even financed vehicles as collateral. The accused allegedly used coercive tactics to force villagers into signing stamp papers and blank cheques.
The police have registered a case and are further investigating the illegal loan operations. This raid is part of a broader effort to curb the activities of loan mafias in rural areas, who often prey on vulnerable communities.
