170 people duped in multi-cr investment scam, one booked

The complainant in the case is a renowned Vastu consultant, whose clientele too invested in the scheme

The MRA Marg police have booked a man for allegedly duping 170 people of close to Rs 30 crore on the pretext of an investment scam. The accused, Siddharth Pilani, contacted potential investors through a woman. A case has been registered and transferred to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW).

According to the FIR, the complainant if the son of a renowned numerologist and Vastu consultant Biindu Khuraana. His family was cheated of lakhs of rupees on the pretext of investing for handsome returns. While Khuraana and his family had invested close to Rs 60 lakh from June to December 2020, the current valuation of the money as per the share market is over Rs 13.8 crore.

Speaking to the Free Press Journal, Biindu Khuraana said that Pilani had come to her with a strong reference of one of her clients. He took her in confidence to share the same plan with her clientele as well as acquaintances. “Believing it to be a genuine investment plan, I invested along with my family and gave Pilani’s reference to my other clients as well, wherein he gained a clientele of 170 people. We all invested money, and also received handsome returns, following which we invested in doubletriple, only to be later duped,” said the renowned numerologist.

Months later, when the returns stopped coming and there was allegedly no correspondence from Pilani, Khuraana checked his whereabouts but couldn’t trace him.

While a meeting was set up with Pilani’s brother, they asked for a settlement and assured that the returns were on the way.

The complainant has accused that while Pilani returned Rs 64.85 lakh as returns on investment, the current market value is Rs 13.79 crore with profits and bookings. Biindu Khuraana said that her reputation is at stake as her clientele has been accusing her of siphoning the money, suspecting her to be a part of the scam. She told this newspaper that she was just as much of a victim as the other persons.

While the EOW registered a case of cheating, criminal breach of trust and common intention against Pilani and a capital proprietorship firm, the police are probing the matter and no arrests have been made yet. Pilani was unreachable for comment.