19 members of a family booked for duping siblings of over Rs 1 crore in cryptocurrency scheme

Thane: Police have registered a case against 19 members of a family in Maharashtra's Thane for allegedly duping a man and his brother of Rs 1.17 crore under the pretext of high returns on investment in a cryptocurrency scheme, an official said.

Based on the complaint lodged by the 42-year-old man, the case was registered at the Rabodi police station on Wednesday, he said.

As per the complaint, the accused, Sabir Yakub Ghachi (50), Shakir Yakub Ghachi (45), Ruhiha Shakir Ghachi (39) and several other family members convinced the victim to invest in a cryptocurrency scheme, promising up to 12 times the returns on the invested amount, the police official said.

Believing them, the victim invested Rs 91.53 lakh, while his brother invested Rs 25.69 lakh in the scheme beginning March 2022, he said.

But when the complainant sought his money back, the accused gave evasive replies and also issued threats, saying they had links with influential persons. After that, the victim approached the police, he added.

The case against the accused was registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) Act, 1999, the police said, adding that no arrest has been made so far.