Patna, March 24 A husband-wife couple were arrested in Gurugram, Haryana, in connection with an alleged fraud involving fake franchise and investment schemes, and were produced before a court here on Tuesday, an official said.
The arrests were made over the past two days, and the accused were brought to Patna on transit remand, police said.
The accused have been identified as Rahul Kalra and his wife Ruchika Kalra, against whom non-bailable warrants had been issued.
Speaking to reporters here, Patna SP (Central) Diksha said, "The case was originally registered at the Gandhi Maidan police station on December 31. The complainant alleged that he was cheated of Rs 44 lakh under the pretext of being offered a franchise, and he named three accused in his FIR."
She said that police had found similar cases registered at the Gandhi Maidan, Patliputra, and Sri Krishna Puri police stations, where the accused allegedly followed a similar modus operandi.
"The accused allegedly lured victims by offering franchise opportunities, investment partnerships, and high returns. In some instances, money collected from new investors was partially used to pay earlier investors in order to maintain credibility," she said.
Preliminary findings suggest a fraud of around Rs 10-12 crore, although officials indicated that the total amount could rise further as more complaints surface, she added.
Police said the accused operated multiple offices in Patna, including in Boring Road, Gandhi Maidan, and Exhibition Road, while their residence is located in the Buddha Colony area.