Mumbai, April 21 (NationPress) In a shocking incident of multi-crore fraud, abduction, and extortion in the Vile Parle East area, a businessman was reportedly swindled out of Rs 3.25 crore by a group promising lucrative investment returns, according to police authorities.

As per the investigation, the suspects initially convinced the businessman to invest Rs 1 crore, assuring him of impressive profits. However, when he sought a refund out of suspicion, both he and his firm's General Manager were reportedly threatened at gunpoint and coerced into transferring an additional Rs 2.25 crore.

A formal complaint has been lodged at the Airport Police Station in Mumbai against ten individuals, prompting a manhunt to locate and apprehend the suspects.

The victim, Ayush Nakra, indicated that the conspiracy unfolded between July 15, 2025, and August 28, 2025. He claimed that four brokers—Lakshminarayan Agarwal, Devkumar Roy, Sushilkumar Yadav, and Chetan Sanghvi—approached him, asserting connections to a significant investment network and persuading him to invest in a company named ‘Archship Group’.

The brokers allegedly guaranteed that the businessman’s investment would substantially increase in a short period, fostering trust over time.

The complaint further details that on August 22, 2025, the accused facilitated the transfer of Rs 1 crore from the businessman’s company account to an organization called ‘Manav Dharmayog NGO’, claiming this was a necessary step in the investment process with promises of forthcoming returns.

However, when the businessman began to question the legitimacy of the transaction and demanded clarity on the anticipated returns, the suspects’ demeanor changed.

According to police reports, upon demanding a refund, the businessman was threatened with a firearm. On August 28, 2025, a primary suspect, Umesh Kumar Suman alias Subodh Ranjan, along with approximately 15 accomplices, reportedly confronted both the businessman and his General Manager, Pankaj Rawat.

During this encounter, both were allegedly assaulted, enduring physical violence while a pistol was aimed at them. The suspects reportedly threatened to kill them immediately if they did not comply with their demands.

Out of fear for their safety, the businessman consented to transfer an additional Rs 2.25 crore from his company’s account to another organization, ‘Nai Jeevan Jyoti Foundation’, resulting in a total extortion amount of Rs 3.25 crore.

Following the complaint, police registered a case on April 18, 2026, against multiple suspects, including Ramashish Kumar Gupta alias Kumar Sir, Umesh Kumar Suman alias Subodh Ranjan, Lakshminarayan Agarwal, Devkumar Roy, Sushilkumar Yadav, Chetan Sanghvi, Surendra Kumar, Sakshi Kumari alias Varsha, Swati, Goyal, and others.

Investigators are actively working to track the accused and reveal the full scope of the network involved.

Authorities are scrutinizing bank accounts, financial movements, and operational connections to ascertain whether the NGOs mentioned are fronts for a broader fraudulent investment scheme.

Ongoing investigations into the case continue, police officials stated.