Navi Mumbai Police Book Five for Cheating Investors of Rs 1.32 Crore
The Navi Mumbai Cyber Police have registered a case against five persons and their associates for allegedly cheating eight investors of Rs 1.32 crore by promising high returns on cryptocurrency investments after pitching the scheme at a seminar in Airoli.
The accused have been identified as Anupkumar Saini, Tarun Trikha, Rahul Khurana, Ravi Thakur, and their associates. A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. Cyber police suspect that additional investors may have been duped in the operation.
According to the complaint, the accused operated the investment scheme through a company named Apnomics Limited and promoted Auris Coin as a highly profitable cryptocurrency. Investors were allegedly promised that the value of the coin would increase substantially, providing rapid and substantial financial returns.
To lure investors, the accused organised a seminar at a college in Airoli, where participants were told that the cryptocurrency's value could reach USD 100. Organisers showcased individuals presented as successful employees and displayed expensive cars and costly gifts to project an impression of financial success. Key individuals including Rahul Khurana, Ravi Shankar Thakur, Vikas Chaudhary, Dheeraj Kumar, and Suyog Sharma interacted with prospective investors and persuaded them to participate.
Investors were registered through a purportedly fake website. Instead of depositing money into an official company account, victims were instructed to transfer funds into personal bank accounts controlled by the accused and their associates. While investors were shown Auris Coins in their digital wallets, they were later prevented from liquidating the tokens or withdrawing their funds due to alleged technical issues.
The accused subsequently demanded an additional 25 per cent payment to facilitate withdrawals before launching another scheme called Romeonation. Eight investors later approached the Cyber Police to report their collective losses of Rs 1.32 crore. Police are currently scrutinising the bank accounts, the website, and the wider network to identify further victims and trace the funds.
