A Delhi Police officer has lodged a complaint alleging that a couple defrauded him of over Rs 50 lakh on the pretext of earning huge profits by investing in their health product business, officials said on Tuesday.
Deepak Sharma, posted as assistant superintendent at Delhi Prisons Department, is known for his passion for bodybuilding. In 2021, he appeared in a reality TV show where he met accused Raunak Gulia who was also a participant, they said.
During the show, Raunak introduced herself as a performer and said that her husband is a known entrepreneur and mogul in the field of healthcare products, police said.
In May 2022, Rounak introduced Sharma to her husband -- Ankit Gulia -- at the launch party of their supplement brand in which Rounak was a director, the FIR, which was registered at Madhu Vihar police station in east Delhi, said.
In January, the woman told Sharma that her husband's business was flourishing and they were getting a huge profit but required funds so that they could make multiple brands and set up more outlets to earn maximum profit, it stated.
Rounak persuaded the victim that if he can capitalise around Rs 50 lakh then her husband would shell out 10 to 15 per cent profits with no share in losses and also induced him to be a brand ambassador of the said company and brand, the FIR said.
Waiving at the options, Sharma agreed to capitalise the same on 15 per cent. February onwards, he transferred a sum of Rs 43 lakh into Ankit's account and Rs 8 lakh in cash on several occasions and some through various transactions from his savings accounts, it said.
In April, when Sharma enquired about the status of the money given to the couple, he realised that he had been defrauded. Furthermore, Sharma also came to know numerous people have been played by the couple in the same way.
Raunak and Ankit are absconding and an investigation is on in the case, police said.
