Police in Bengaluru have detained a couple accused of running a deposit-linked packaging job racket in Devanahalli, following complaints from around 15 victims losing lakhs of rupees. The scheme promised profits through upfront deposits and home-based work, but police suspect fraud and are investigating further.
Bengaluru police have detained a couple over allegations that they ran a deposit-linked packaging job racket in Devanahalli, north-east of the city, after around 15 people complained that they had lost lakhs of rupees, The Hindu reported.
Police identified the accused as Kiran Kumar and Arathi and said they are checking bank accounts as part of the investigation. Officers told The Hindu that the pair, and possibly others still being traced, advertised the arrangement through pamphlets distributed with morning newspapers. The offer was presented as home-based packaging work with either a four-month or 12-month plan, under which participants would pay an upfront deposit, complete a set amount of work each month and receive a salary that supposedly would leave them with a profit at the end of the term.
In one example described by police, a person choosing to package 200 kg a month under the 12-month plan would have to pay ₹1 lakh in advance and then receive about ₹23,000 a month. Police said the items and packing material were sent to homes and collected later by the accused. A senior officer told The Hindu that Kumar and Arathi have claimed it was a genuine business and that they had paid some stakeholders, but investigators are still testing that version.
The case surfaced when one investor stopped receiving the promised monthly payments for several months. Police have filed a case under Section 318 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which covers cheating, and Section 316, which deals with criminal breach of trust, as well as under the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act, 2019, a law designed to curb illegal deposit-taking schemes and protect investors. The development comes amid continuing complaints about job-related fraud in Bengaluru, including a March case reported by The New Indian Express in which police arrested a couple accused of duping more than 100 job seekers of about ₹23 crore through false promises of government employment.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
