The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police has registered an FIR against former BharatPe managing director, Ashneer Grover and family for cheating and fraud of Rs 81 crore. The FIR, which was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by the company BharatPe, also mentions the name of his wife Madhuri Jain Grover, and three relatives, Deepak Gupta, Suresh, Jain and Shwetank Jain.
The FIR was registered on Wednesday under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 408 (criminal breach of trust by clerk or servant), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc.), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code at EOW police station.
According to news reports, if convicted, Grover and Madhuri and others can face up to anything between 10 years to life imprisonment. The EOW now has the power to arrest all the accused.
A senior police official privy to the investigation said that a complaint was received and after initial enquiry into the allegations, the FIR was registered.
"We welcome the registration of an FIR by the EOW in the company's complaint in relation to the criminal offences by Mr. Grover, his wife Madhuri Jain and other family members. For the last 15 months, the Company has been facing a vicious and malicious campaign run by Grover against the Company, the board and its employees," said BharatPe in a statement.
"The registration of the FIR is a step in the right direction which unearths various suspicious transactions made by the family for their personal pecuniary gains. This FIR will now enable the Law enforcement agencies to investigate deeper into the criminality and bring the culprits to books," it said.
"We have full faith in our country's judicial and law enforcement systems and are optimistic that this case will reach its logical conclusion. We will continue to extend all possible cooperation to the authorities. MZM legal is advising us (BharatPe) on the criminal case," it added.