Social Trade scam: Police may question Sunny Leone

NOIDA: The Uttar Pradesh police are likely to question Bollywood actor Sunny Leone in the alleged Rs 3,700 ponzi scam case perpetrated by seeking fake social media 'likes' from lakhs of gullible investors by a Noida based firm. The alleged kingpin and the owner of the company Anubhav Mittal had organised his birthday party and Sunny Leone and Amisha Patel were present during the event. Photos of the actresses with Mittal during the party surfaced on social media after the scam was unearthed. According to sources, Leone was also invited by Mittal for the launch of an e-commerce portal on November 29 last year. Taking Leone's side her husband Daniel Weber, who also manages her work schedule, said she went to Greater Noida to take part in a fashion event on November 29. "She did not go there to attend Mittal's firm but for a fashion show. We don't know anyone in the company and how it functions," Weber said. Meanwhile, The ED said Mittal and his firm allegedly cheated about 6.5 lakh gullible investors of an estimated Rs 3,700 crore, a fraud many more times in value than the infamous Saradha chit fund scam of West Bengal and Assam which is pegged at Rs 2,500 crore. The UP STF had arrested the owner of the company Anubhav Mittal, its CEO Sridhar and the technical head Mahesh on February 2. Modus Operandi of the accused according to their business scheme as alleged were that through their web portal they promoted a scheme where by liking the webpage, which were fictitiously shown associated to international social media groups like Google and Facebook, the users will earn money. "The accused persons propagated a false story that the promotional web pages linked on these international social media portals pay Rs 6 per likes out of which they pay Rs 5 to the investment/user," the agency said. The ED said the accused also "promoted four systematic investment plans offering various incentives depending upon the investment made by the user." "The multi-level marketing and ponzi schemes were run by Ms Ablaze Info Solutions Private Ltd, Ms Social Trade India Pvt Ltd, Ms 3W Digital Pvt Ltd and Ms Intmaart India Pvt Ltd," it said. The agency added all these firms were the "brain child" of Mittal and others. Sources said the agency will soon prepare to attach the assets of the accused and the firm under PMLA laws in order to protect the interest of the investors who were allegedly cheated. The agency, they said, will also write to the banks from where Mittal, his firm and associates were conducting their transactions. The ED will also co-ordinate with the STF and the Income Tax department to unearth the proceeds of the crime generated in this case, they added. (With inputs from PTI)