Mumbai : A serious controversy has erupted over the alleged misuse of a confiscated luxury car linked to an MPID (Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors) crime case. An NGO, Council for Protection of Rights – Grahak Bharti, has submitted a formal complaint to the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, the Director General of Police (DGP), and the Additional DGP (Anti-Corruption Bureau), seeking a thorough investigation into how the vehicle—seized from accused businessman Mahesh Motewar in connection with the Samruddhi Economic Crime case in Pune—was reportedly being used by self-proclaimed journalist Prashant Koratkar of Nagpur.
According to the complaint filed by Barrister Vinod Tiwari, President of Grahak Bharti, the luxury car, bearing registration number WB 02 AB0123, was confiscated as part of the police action against Mahesh Motewar in the MPID case. However, media reports have surfaced suggesting that the car has been in unauthorised possession and use by Koratkar for several months.
The complainant has expressed grave concerns over how a vehicle seized in a serious economic crime case could have ended up in the hands of a private individual. The letter alleges that several senior IPS officers in Maharashtra have close ties with Koratkar, as evident from photographs previously posted on his social media accounts—Facebook and Instagram—though many of these have now been deleted.
“The investigating agencies can easily retrieve these images and verify his links with high-ranking police officials. It is evident that these officers have been assisting Koratkar in various illegal activities. The matter needs an urgent and independent probe to determine how a vehicle seized in a financial fraud case was handed over to a private person,” the letter states.
The complainant has called for accountability, urging the state government and police to investigate which officers facilitated the transfer of the seized vehicle to Koratkar and how he was allowed to use it for personal purposes for an extended period.
“There appears to be a serious case of misuse of official position by police officers who enabled an accused individual to gain access to confiscated property. This must be thoroughly investigated, and those responsible must be held accountable,” Tiwari emphasised.
The complaint is accompanied by media clippings detailing the issue, which the NGO believes provide strong grounds for an urgent investigation. The NGO has urged the authorities to fix responsibility on the officers involved and take strict action against those found guilty of wrongdoing.
The controversy has raised significant concerns about the handling of confiscated assets in economic crime cases, with demands growing for greater transparency and stricter enforcement to prevent such alleged misuse in the future.
