HYDERABAD: Kushaiguda police have launched a manhunt for a scamster, Ravulakollu Ramesh, who lured innocent housewives and duped them to the tune of Rs 200 crore in a multi-level marketing scheme involving bindi and candlewick-making machines. Initial investigations reveal that there are close to 700 victims who invested about Rs 200 crore and the accused is on the run.
According to the police, seven complainants reached out to them stating that they suffered a loss of Rs 10 to Rs 15 lakh each and police registered a case under IPC Sections 420, 426 and 120 b.
One of the complainants Rudraraju Ramaseetha stated that she learnt her neighbour, Jasmine, was making good money through some Work From Home (WFH) assignments. When Ramaseetha asked Jasmine for the details, the latter explained that Ramesh from RR Enterprises had provided her with machines at Rs 1,80,000 and Rs 1,20,000 for making bindis and candlewicks.
Ramesh was buying the manufactured products (bindis and candlewicks) and ensuring repeat orders as well. Ramaseetha felt it was a good business idea. She paid Rs 50,000 for a machine and another Rs 6,000 for cotton through an online transaction. She started making wicks and bindis but did not receive any business orders from Ramesh. She continued manufacturing for the second month as well but Ramesh was not responsive.
Soon, her machine gave out and Ramaseetha decided to pay Ramesh’s office in AS Rao Nagar a visit. She found his store locked and did not find Ramesh on the premises. When she went back again the next day, she saw a huge crowd who all claimed that they had been duped by Ramesh in the name of manufacturing and ‘chain business’.
Ramaseetha, Jasmine and five others then went to the police station to file a complaint. Police visited the accused Ravulakollu Ramesh’s RR Enterprise in AS Rao Nagar where they found 10 machines which he was planning to sell to interested investors.
Some complainants said that Ramesh did not buy their share of manufactured products because he had been duped in the ‘chain’ by Viswajeeth, P Tirumala, P Sujatha, M Ganesh, Praveen Kumar, Ravi Shankar who hail from Cherlapally.