HYDERABAD: Four key operatives of the Indus Viva Health Sciences Pvt. Ltd, a Bengaluru-based Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) firm, were detained under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act by the Cyberabad police on Saturday for defrauding over 10 lakh people across the country for over `1,500 crore by enrolling them into different schemes.
In March, Cyberabad police had arrested 24 persons, including the four who are now detained under PD Act. Three government teachers working in Telangana and their spouses, who had been working as distributors for the firm, were also among the arrested. Police also found that the company had started operations in the US, Uganda and Bangladesh and they were also working to expand their base to other countries.
The accused Abhilash Thomas, CEO, along with other operatives Prem Kumar Subramaniyam and Imadulla Sharif have already moved the High Court seeking a stay on the registered cases and investigation. High Court orders are pending.
Firm set up in 2014
Thomas founded the firm in 2014 and the other accused joined later. All the organisers of the company had earlier worked in MLM companies including Amway and US-based MonaVie. Based on their performance and enrolments, the members were promised foreign trips with five-star hotel accommodation, diamond rings, luxury vehicles and even a personalised documentary. The products promoted by Indus Viva are manufactured by Olive Health Sciences Pvt. Ltd at Bengaluru but none of the products have certification from any government agency and the company has no permission to manufacture them.