In a significant development, the Kotwali police in Kanpur have taken formal action against a notorious Ponzi scheme operator and his associates for allegedly defrauding a non-resident Indian (NRI) based in Dubai of a massive sum amounting to nearly one crore rupees.
The Complaint and the Modus Operandi
The case was registered on Sunday based on a complaint filed by Manikandan Rajgopal, a resident of Madanamkuppam Road in Chennai's Kolathur area. According to his statement to the police, the ordeal began in 2022 when he received a call from one of the accused, Gurneet Kaur.
Gurneet Kaur reportedly lured Manikandan into investing in an entity called Bluechip Commercial Broker Company. She promised him a attractive monthly dividend of 1.5 per cent on his investment. Trusting the offer, Manikandan made an initial investment of 36,700 dirhams, equivalent to approximately Rs 8.97 lakh.
To build his confidence, the accused returned his initial capital along with a profit after some time. Emboldened by this apparent success, the fraudsters then promised even higher returns, assuring Manikandan of monthly profits between 3 to 4 per cent.
The Trap is Sprung: Rs 98 Lakh Lost
Falling into the carefully laid trap, the victim transferred a total of Rs 98.44 lakh in two separate instalments to the company. However, his hopes were shattered within a few days when he discovered that the office of Bluechip Commercial Broker Company was locked and the individuals behind it had vanished.
Manikandan stated that he later learned through social media that the Kanpur police had arrested the alleged kingpin, Ravindranath Soni. This prompted him to travel to Kanpur to file a formal complaint at the Kotwali police station.
Legal Proceedings and Interstate Jurisdiction
The police have registered a report against three individuals: Ravindranath Soni, Suraj Jumani, and Gurneet Kaur. Given that the crime involves a victim residing in another state, the Kanpur police have followed a specific procedure.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kotwali, Ashutosh Singh, explained that a report has been registered under a zero crime number (zero FIR). This legal provision allows a police station to register a complaint irrespective of where the crime occurred. The documented case will now be transferred to the police station in the victim's home district in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
"After the transfer, the concerned police station in Tamil Nadu will take over the investigation of the case," ACP Singh confirmed. This step ensures that the investigation proceeds from a jurisdiction where the victim resides and can easily cooperate with the authorities.
This case highlights the persistent threat of sophisticated financial frauds targeting NRIs and the coordinated efforts required by police across state lines to bring the perpetrators to justice.
