NOIDA: The cyber cell on Friday arrested two persons for operating a fake website offering dealership of Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali products. Anoop Verma (26) from Shekhpura in Bihar and Sameer Sharma (35) of Gomti in Tripura were accused of cheating one Rajendra Kumar Verma.
Zahir Khan, inspector at Noida’s Centre for
Cyber Crime Investigation (CCCI), said in November 2017, Verma came across the website www.patanjalidistributors.org while searching for Patanjali dealerships. Verma contacted a number he got from the website and the receiver identified himself as
Rishikesh Acharya, personal assistant to Acharya Balkrishna of Patanjali. Verma was told deposit Rs 50,000 as registration fee and Rs 4.5 lakh security deposit within 24 hours to get the dealership for Noida region.
Verma deposited Rs 10 lakh on two bank accounts as discussed, and sought an appointment to discuss the deal. However, the accused told him to deposit another Rs 6 lakh. Suspecting foul play, Verma informed police on November 10, 2017 and a case was registered. The accused were then put on surveillance, said Khan.
A police team conducted a raid in Noida and Delhi but the accused escaped. They were arrested from near
Khoda crossing on Friday.
Anoop also roped in three others – Roshan, Vikas, and Viru –for the business. Sameer helped them with online marketing and the website started getting hits. Anoop said in April 2017, he cheated a Kerala resident of Rs 8 lakh. In May, Rs 12 lakh was taken from anative of Tamil Nadu. Again, he trapped a Chennai resident and cheated him of Rs 14 lakh. In October, it was Verma.
The two accused were produced in court and sent to judicial custody.
Picture for representational purpose only.