Pune Police Invoke MCOCA Against Fugitive Gangster Nilesh Ghaywal for Extorting Rs 45-Lakh from Businesswoman

Kothrud, 12th November 2025: In a major crackdown on organised crime, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar has invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against notorious gangster Nilesh Ghaywal, accused of extorting ₹45 lakh from a woman entrepreneur. Investigators said Ghaywal, currently believed to be residing in London, had allegedly obtained a passport using forged documents to flee India.

According to officials, Ghaywal has a long criminal record with 11 serious cases registered against him since the infamous Kothrud firing incident. These include land grabbing, illegal possession of apartments, and multiple cases of intimidation and extortion targeting businessmen and professionals across Pune, Satara, Beed, Dharashiv, and Ahilyanagar districts.

“This is the third time MCOCA has been invoked against Ghaywal,” confirmed Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone III) Sambhaji Kadam, adding that the latest case pertains to the extortion of a Pune-based woman business owner.

Police investigations have revealed that Ghaywal’s gang accumulated substantial wealth through illegal activities and created widespread fear in western Maharashtra. Pune Police have now launched a detailed financial probe into his assets and written to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking an inquiry into suspected money laundering and disproportionate assets.

Authorities have also begun the process to bring Ghaywal back to India. The Pune Police have contacted the UK High Commission regarding his extradition and approached Interpol to issue a Blue Corner Notice for his detention and tracking. Sources said Ghaywal’s son is studying in London, where the gangster is believed to be living under an assumed identity.

In a related development, MCOCA action has also been taken against Ghaywal’s brother, Sachin, who, along with Nilesh and other associates, allegedly took illegal possession of ten flats in a newly constructed building in Kothrud. The brothers are also accused of threatening a woman contractor supplying food to a school canteen and extorting money from her.

Further investigation revealed that Ghaywal forged documents in 2019 using the name “Gaywal” instead of “Ghaywal” to obtain a passport through Ahmedpur Police in the Ahmednagar division, allegedly with the help of corrupt officials. Despite facing multiple complaints of corruption and misconduct—seven serious allegations over 14 years—he reportedly managed to retain influence through high-level connections.

Police officials said all agencies are now coordinating to trace his financial network and secure his custody from the UK. The fresh MCOCA action, they added, marks a decisive step in dismantling the Ghaywal gang’s organised crime syndicate that has long terrorised western Maharashtra.