The Nagpur Police crime branch’s anti-extortion cell has made a major breakthrough in the school textbook scam by arresting two key accused — Sujeet Chaudhary and Deepak Maurya — from a slum in Nalasopara, Mumbai Metropolitan Region, on Thursday night.
According to officials, the duo was allegedly in charge of transportation, storage, marketing, and illegal sale of government-issued school textbooks. The scam involved diverting stock worth over Rs76 lakh into the black market, under the pretext of operating as authorized dealers.
The racket operated by setting up fake book stalls and forming commission-based ties with textbook publishing companies. Once they acquired large volumes of stock, the accused would vanish and redirect the materials to unauthorized buyers.
Acting on intelligence gathered during the interrogation of two previously arrested suspects, a special team led by Inspector Ravindra Naikwad carried out coordinated raids at nearly a dozen locations in the Nalasopara area.
During one such raid, police arrested Sujeet Chaudhary, who subsequently revealed the location of a hidden storeroom deep within a settlement known for housing African immigrants. Inside, police found thousands of textbooks valued between Rs2–3 lakh. A vehicle believed to be used for transporting the stolen material was also recovered.
“Although a large portion of the stock had already been moved, we managed to seize around 50% of the inventory,” said Inspector Naikwad. The operation was supported by the MBVV (Mira-Bhayander-Vasai-Virar) crime branch, with Inspector Sameer Ahirrao playing a vital role in coordinating local intelligence.
Investigators say Sujeet and Deepak were involved from the start — setting up unauthorized stalls in schools, marketing the stolen textbooks, and handling logistics. Officials believe there are multiple such storerooms across Mumbai, hinting at a larger, organized racket still operating under the radar.
Both accused have been remanded to police custody until July 29, and further interrogation is expected to uncover missing stock and other key players in the scam.
