Purushottam Chavan, the husband of senior IPS officer Rashmi Karandikar, was arrested by Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on May 20, 2025, in connection with a ₹24.78 crore real estate fraud. Chavan and his associates allegedly deceived 20 individuals by promising them government quota flats in prime locations such as Prabhadevi, Lower Parel, Thane, and Pune at concessional rates. They provided fake documentation, including forged transfer of development rights (TDR) papers and manipulated photographs, to convince victims of the legitimacy of the deals .

Chavan was already in judicial custody for his involvement in a separate ₹263 crore income tax refund scam investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). During the ED’s probe, officials discovered fake property documents worth over ₹100 crore at Chavan’s residence, which led to the EOW’s investigation into the real estate fraud .

In addition to the ₹24.78 crore fraud case, Chavan is also accused in a second case involving a ₹7.42 crore scam, where he allegedly collected money from a Surat-based businessman under the pretext of offering government plots at discounted prices and promising to secure contracts for supplying T-shirts to the Maharashtra Police Academy in Nashik. These promises were never fulfilled .

IPS officer Rashmi Karandikar has distanced herself from her husband’s activities and filed for divorce, citing grounds such as mental cruelty, financial harassment, incompatibility, his bipolar disorder, and his concealment of financial dealings.

Sources