Pune: Court Orders Police Custody for Builder Vishal Agarwal in Fraud and Threat Case

Pune, 4th July 2024: The First Class Magistrate of the Pune Cantonment Court initially ordered builder Vishal Agarwal to be held in judicial custody in a case involving murder threats to another man over a land transaction worth Rs 1.32 crore in Pune’s Kondhwa area. However, Additional Sessions Judge S.R. Naravade overturned this order and directed that Vishal Agarwal be placed in police custody for two days.

A case was registered against construction businessman Surendra Kumar Agarwal (77), his son Vishal Agarwal (50), and Jaspreet Singh Rajpal for fraud and threats in the name of Chhota Rajan. The complaint was filed by Mushtaq Shabbir Momin (45), a resident of Kondhwa, at the Kondhwa Police Station. Surendra Kumar Agarwal and Jaspreet Singh Rajpal were granted bail, but Vishal Agarwal was initially remanded to judicial custody in Yerwada Jail by the Pune Cantonment Court.

The investigating officers appealed for police custody for Agarwal, arguing that they needed to investigate his possession of documents related to the crime, as well as his phone conversations and social media messages. Public Prosecutor Prem Kumar Agarwal filed an application supporting this request. The court accepted these arguments and ordered Agarwal to be held in police custody for two days.

Mushtaq Momin, who owns MM Associates and Wastu Properties Agency, handles building permissions and land transactions. The dispute arose when Agarwal and Jaspreet Singh Rajpal had a conflict with Nivritti Kopare over land in Brahma Emerald County, Kondhwa. In July 2019, Agarwal approached Momin to help settle the land dispute. Momin agreed to mediate for a fee of Rs 1.5 crore, receiving an advance of Rs 18 lakh from Agarwal and Rajpal. The remaining Rs 1.32 crore was promised upon completion of the work.

When Momin inquired about the remaining payment, Agarwal allegedly threatened him in the name of underworld don Chhota Rajan, stating that Rajan’s gang would kill Momin and his family.

### False Rumors Circulate About Agarwal’s Absconding

Vishal Agarwal is currently in the custody of the Pimpri Chinchwad Police. Yesterday, rumors circulated that Agarwal had escaped and was absconding. However, the Pimpri-Chinchwad police clarified that Vishal Agarwal, involved in the Porsche accident case and arrested for defrauding society members in Bavdhan, has not absconded. Senior Police Inspector Kanhaiya Thorat of Hinjawadi Police Station confirmed that Agarwal is safely in custody, debunking the viral message as fake.

Agarwal was arrested on Tuesday (2nd), presented in court, and remanded for three days. The police maintained secrecy during this period, which led to suspicions. A high-level inquiry into the case is anticipated to address these concerns. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) Bapu Bangar also informed Punekar News that the rumors of Agarwal’s escape were false and that he remains in police custody.