The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Maharashtra police has arrested the investigating officer in the Bliss Consultants case, which involves Goregaon couple Ashesh and Shivangi Mehta. Police Inspector Mahendra Vasudev Savardekar, 44, was taken into custody for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs2,00,000 to record a statement from a victim in the case.
Savardekar was arrested under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, following a complaint from a Tamil Nadu resident who invested Rs49.44 lakh in Bliss Consultants. The consultancy faces charges under IPC Sections 420, 409, and 34, as well as Sections 3 and 4 of the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (MPID) Act.
According to the ACB, the complainant reported that Savardekar demanded 10% of the investment—approximately Rs4,90,000—as a bribe to record his statement as a witness and include relevant documents in the investigation. Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant contacted the ACB, leading to a trap operation on October 9, where Savardekar was caught accepting Rs2,00,000 as the first installment.
The Mehta couple was arrested by the Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) in December 2023 after 166 investors reported being defrauded, with total claims amounting to approximately Rs86 crore. Officials have identified around 4,000 investors connected to Bliss Consultants.
The Mehtas maintain their innocence, alleging they are being framed in a fake arbitration case worth Rs200 crore and have faced fabricated drug charges from Madhya Pradesh police, which they claim led to the collapse of their business and panic among investors.
The ACB encourages citizens to report any instances of bribery or corruption involving public servants.
