Pune: Fake Call Centres in Amanora Mall Raided, 120 Employees Found Involved
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Hadapsar, 12th June 2026: Pune City Police have dismantled a sophisticated online gaming and financial fraud syndicate that was operating fake call centres from commercial establishments in Hadapsar and Fursungi, including two locations inside Amanora Mall.
Addressing a press conference at the Pune Police Commissioner’s Office on Friday, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Tejaswi Satpute said the operation led to the arrest of two key accused and the seizure of hundreds of computers, hard drives, mobile phones, cash, incriminating documents and an illegal firearm with live ammunition.
According to Satpute, the syndicate employed around 120 people and allegedly cheated hundreds of citizens by luring them into depositing money on fraudulent online gaming platforms that promised high returns and prize winnings.
The operation was launched after Police Personnel Shivaji Jadhav and Yogesh Raut from the Mundhwa Police Station detection branch received specific intelligence about suspicious activities in the Hadapsar area. After verification, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 6) Jivan Beniwal ordered immediate action.
Simultaneous raids were conducted on June 10 by teams led by Senior Police Inspectors Smita Vasnik of Mundhwa Police Station, Girisha Nimbalkar of Kalepadal Police Station, Amol More of Fursungi Police Station and Swapnali Shinde of the Cyber Police Station.
Police targeted three locations, including two call centres operating from Amanora Mall in Hadapsar and another facility in Fursungi.
Satpute said the fraudulent operations were being run under the names “Apex Achiever” and “JKL India Solution”. The accused allegedly created fake online gaming websites and used call centre employees to contact potential victims and persuade them to invest money on the platforms. Once the money was deposited, the victims were allegedly cheated through false promises of rewards and returns.
During the nearly 18-hour operation, police recovered substantial digital and documentary evidence that is expected to assist investigators in tracing the network’s operations and financial transactions.
Police arrested Santosh Datta Venjanekar (47), a resident of Park Infinia Society in Fursungi and originally from Kolhapur district, and Vinayak alias Deepak Manohar Ikke (40), a resident of Silver Wood Society in Fursungi.
A search of Venjanekar’s residence led to the recovery of cash, important documents and an illegally possessed pistol along with six live cartridges, Satpute said.
A case has been registered at Hadapsar Police Station under FIR No. 403/2026. The accused have been booked under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Information Technology Act, the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, the Arms Act, the Maharashtra Police Act and the Juvenile Justice Act.
Police have invoked charges related to cheating, criminal breach of trust, forgery, criminal conspiracy, identity theft, cheating through computer resources, unauthorised access to computer systems, illegal online gaming operations, unlawful possession of firearms and alleged violations relating to the employment or exploitation of minors.
“The investigation is underway to identify the full extent of the racket, trace the money trail and determine whether additional individuals or entities were involved in the operation,” Satpute said.
The case is being investigated by Police Inspector (Crime) Nilesh Jagdale of Hadapsar Police Station.
The operation was carried out under the guidance of Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Police Sanjay Darade, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Tejaswi Satpute, Additional Commissioner of Police Manoj Patil, DCP Jivan Beniwal, and Assistant Commissioners of Police Atulkumar Navgire and Anuradha Udamale, along with officers and personnel from Zone 6 and the participating police stations.
The on-ground execution team comprised Senior Inspectors Smita Vasnik, Girisha Nimbalkar, Amol More, and Swapnali Shinde; Assistant Inspectors Kalpana Survase and Ganesh Pinguvale; Sub-Inspector Yuvraj Poman; and Police Officers/Personnel Shivaji Jadhav, Yogesh Gaikwad, Rahul More, Rupesh Todekar, Sachin Borate, Rahul Dhotre, Shivaji Dhande, Yogesh Raut, Akshay Dhumal, Swapnil Raskar, Prashant Naidu, along with other dedicated officers of Zone 06.
