New Delhi: An assistant superintendent at Tihar Jail, has lodged a complaint against a woman wrestler and her husband who allegedly swindled him of Rs 50 lakh under the pretense of involving him in a health product business.
According to police, Deepak Sharma, renowned for his dedication to bodybuilding, claims that he fell victim to a scam orchestrated by professional wrestlers Raunak Gulia and her husband, Ankit Gulia.
As per FIR, in the year 2021, Sharma appeared in one reality show ‘Ultimate Warriors’ on Discovery Channel where he met Raunak Gulia who was also a partaker/participant on the said show.
In his complaint, Sharma claimed that during the show, Raunak Gulia portrayed herself as a performer and a health enthusiast.
“She informed me that her husband was an established entrepreneur in the Health Products industry. After the show concluded, the participants, including myself, returned to our respective homes and began conversing over the phone due to our shared interest in fitness,” read the FIR.
“In May 2022, Raunak Gulia introduced me to her husband, Ankit Gulia, at the launch event for their supplement brand, Rapid Nutrition, where Raunak Gulia held a directorial role. By January 2023, she informed me that her husband’s business was thriving and yielding substantial profits,” he further stated.
“However, they required additional funds to expand their business by creating multiple brands and establishing various outlets to maximise their earnings. Given Raunak Gulia’s persuasive communication style, coupled with her awareness of my public presence in the Health & Fitness domain, she convinced me to invest around Rs 50 lakhs in their venture,” Deepak claimed
in the FIR.
“She assured that her husband would provide 10-15 per cent of the profits, with no share in potential losses. Furthermore, she enticed me to become the Brand Ambassador for their company and brand. Enticed by the offered options, I decided to invest with a 15 per cent stake.
“Raunak Gulia painted an appealing picture, tempting me to invest. As a result, I agreed to invest Rs 43 lakhs through bank transfers and Rs 8 lakhs in cash at different times and locations, including various transactions at Vijay Park, Yamuna Vihar. Notably, on March 2nd, 2023, at
approximately 7:30 PM, the same individual arrived in a black Scorpio vehicle in Yamuna Vihar.
“In April 2023, when I inquired about the status of my invested funds, I discovered that both individuals had orchestrated a fraud and deception against me. They had swindled my money under the pretense of their proposal. It was revealed that many others had fallen victim to the same
con and scam, and both Raunak Gulia and Ankit Gulia were now evading authorities. They even threatened me with severe consequences, including threats to my life, if I took any action against them,” Sharma said in his complaint.
“In light of the aforementioned actions, it is evident from their behavior that the married couple hatched a criminal conspiracy. They induced me to accept their proposal and enticed me to invest my hard-earned money. Subsequently, their true intentions became apparent: to deceive and defraud innocent individuals. They intentionally avoided returning the invested amounts, along with promised profits. This deceitful conduct exemplifies their fraudulent and duplicitous nature,” it added.
A senior police official said that an FIR has been registered on Sunday under section 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) of the India Penal Code at Madhu Vihar police station and further investigation is on.
(IANS)
