Asaram Case Witness Sent to 3-Day Police Remand

April 20, 2026

Panipat, April 20: In the case involving a ₹70 lakh fraud and an additional demand for ₹80 lakh in extortion money perpetrated by Mahendra Chawla (a key witness in the Asaram Bapu case) and his family the court has remanded all three accused to police custody for three days. During this police remand, the authorities will conduct raids across five states to interrogate the suspects. The next date of hearing has been scheduled for April 23. The accused in this case are Mahendra Chawla, his brother Devendra, and his nephew Ramprasad.

₹70 lakh trail spans 5 states, raids planned

Appearing in court on behalf of the complainant, Senior Advocate Pushpendra Singh argued that the accused had not only misappropriated ₹70 lakh through blackmail but had also distributed these funds across multiple regions specifically Panipat, Uttar Pradesh (Shamli), Punjab, Uttarakhand (Dehradun), and Gujarat. The police are now tasked with conducting raids across all these states to recover the money.

Who Holds How Much Money?

Police interrogation and the investigation conducted thus far have yielded startling revelations:

• Mahendra Chawla: He received a share of ₹40 lakh, which is suspected to be hidden across Gurdaspur, Saharanpur, Chandigarh, and Gujarat. Additionally, the police need to recover a computer from his residence in Sanauli.
• Devendra Chawla: Information suggests that his share of ₹15 lakh is currently in the possession of his maternal cousin (aunt’s daughter), who resides in Bengaluru.
• Ramprasad (Nephew): The police have already recovered ₹1.15 lakh from the accused, Ramprasad. The remaining ₹13.85 lakh is yet to be recovered from a friend of his who resides in Uttarakhand.

CCTV Footage and Mobile Phone Data Expose the Truth

CCTV footage related to the case has also surfaced, in which Mahendra’s brother, Devendra, is seen carrying a bag filled with ₹70 lakh out of the residence of the mediator, Poorn Sharma. The police have seized Mahendra Chawla’s mobile phone and his car at the scene. The phone has been sealed and sent for forensic examination to gather further evidence regarding the blackmailing.

RTI Weaponized for Blackmail

It was further argued in court that the accused, Mahendra Chawla, has a history of using RTIs (Right to Information requests) to blackmail public servants and influential individuals. Following this very pattern, he swindled ₹70 lakh from the Sarpanch under the pretext of changing his testimony, and subsequently demanded an additional ₹80 lakh.