CHENNAI: The Entrustment Document Fraud (EDF) Wing of the Avadi Central Crime Branch (CCB) has arrested a couple on charges of defrauding 18 people of Rs 6.46 crore under the pretext of doubling their investments through their company.
One of the complainants, M Kalaivanan (34) of Kolathur, informed the police that between 2021 and 2024, the couple, R Vignesh (32) of Red Hills and his wife V Rekha (32), along with their associates, frequently met the victims and pressured them to invest, promising a twofold return. When some complainants expressed their inability to invest due to lack of funds, the accused introduced them to an associate, Sathish, who allegedly worked at a bank and arranged loans for them. They further assured the victims that they would take responsibility for repaying the loans.
Trusting their claims, the 18 victims provided their personal documents, including pay slips, Aadhaar, PAN, to Sathish via WhatsApp.
Upon receiving the loan amounts, the victims transferred the entire sum to bank accounts specified by Vignesh and Rekha. However, even after more than a year, they neither received the promised profits nor their principal investment, and their bank loans remained unpaid.
Following a complaint by one of the victims, M Kalaivanan, the police apprehended the couple from Vandhavasi on Wednesday based on information.
A search is ongoing to locate others involved in the scam.