Kanpur Police Bust Interstate MLM Racket, Over 60,000 Allegedly Duped of ₹100 Crore

The Kanpur Police have busted an alleged interstate multi-level marketing (MLM) fraud racket accused of cheating more than 60,000 people of nearly ₹100 crore through fake job offers and the sale of unregistered Ayurvedic products. Six alleged members of the syndicate have been arrested, while the suspected masterminds remain absconding.

A joint team of the Cyber Cell, Crime Branch and Hanumant Vihar Police arrested the accused during a raid at Mangalam Garden on Arra Road in Barra. The arrested individuals are Ravindra Yadav, Kamlesh Kumar, Mantosh Paswan, Rohit Shaw, Mangal Shakya and Raju Kumar, from Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Police said the racket operated under the names Win Maker Ayurveda and Win Maker Wellness Pvt Ltd and had been active since 2021. The companies allegedly targeted unemployed youth in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and other states by inviting them to hotel seminars and promising salaries of ₹25,000 to ₹50,000 per month.

Instead of providing jobs, recruits were allegedly persuaded to purchase unregistered Ayurvedic medicine kits and pay ₹12,000 to ₹30,000 to join the network. They were then trained to recruit more people, creating a pyramid-style chain. To make the scheme appear genuine, the organisers allegedly staged promotional events, fake success stories and award ceremonies, while promising incentives such as motorcycles and quick promotions. Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal said around 2,000 people in Kanpur alone had allegedly fallen victim to the fraud, while the total number of victims across several states exceeded 60,000. The estimated financial loss is nearly ₹100 crore.

The alleged masterminds, Inamul Haq and Vijay Kushwaha, both from Bihar, are on the run. Another key accused, Manish Sinha, was reportedly arrested in a similar fraud case in Muzaffarpur in 2024. The syndicate allegedly operated five centres in Uttar Pradesh, including Kanpur, Jhansi, Gorakhpur and Basti, besides centres in Bihar and other states. Police seized six Android phones, digital records, WhatsApp chats, audio clips and other electronic evidence.

Investigators are examining the material to identify more victims and trace the money trail. A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act, while efforts are underway to freeze bank accounts and arrest the remaining accused.