A major cheating racket operating under the guise of glamour, film industry connections and promises of massive financial returns has come to light in Mumbai. A well-known Bhojpuri film actress, Akanksha Awasthi, her husband Vivek kumar Umesh kumar Sinha alias Abhishek kumar Singh Chauhan, and their associates have been accused of cheating a Mumbai-based customs clearance businessman of ₹11.50 crore.
Based on a complaint filed by the victim, Hitesh Kantilal Ajmera (52), Pant Nagar Police have registered an FIR against the actress, her husband and other accomplices, and initiated an investigation.
According to the complainant, the accused projected themselves as influential, financially powerful individuals with strong links to the film industry to gain his trust. Actress Akanksha Awasthi allegedly claimed to be running a film studio and an artists’ training centre in the Andheri area of Mumbai. Luring the businessman with promises of studio ownership, fame, and an interest-free loan of ₹200 crore, the accused persuaded him to make large investments, which eventually led to the fraud.
The victim further alleged that the actress’s husband, Vivekkumar, fabricated a story about ₹300 crore in cash stored in a warehouse in the Bettiah region of West Champaran district in Bihar. He claimed the money was stuck due to legal hurdles and sought investment to “release” the funds, falsely promising to return ₹200 crore within four days without interest. To lend credibility to the scheme, the actress allegedly played an active role and personally reassured the victim.
As per the complaint, between March and July 2024, the accused managed to transfer ₹11.50 crore from the victim into various bank accounts in a phased manner. To make the fraud appear genuine, the victim was taken to Patna, where documents related to the alleged warehouse were shown, and a plan was made to travel to Bettiah.
On July 5, 2024, while travelling towards Bettiah, Vivekkumar reportedly got out of the car on the pretext of buying sweets and never returned. His mobile phone was subsequently switched off. Though the accused remained in contact for a few days with excuses, the actress, her husband and their associates eventually went underground.
Due to the heavy financial loss and severe mental trauma, the victim’s health deteriorated, resulting in a delay in lodging the complaint. The FIR was finally registered on January 28, 2026.
Police have booked the accused under sections related to cheating, criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust. Further investigation is underway, including scrutiny of bank transactions, the alleged film studio, documents produced, and the precise role of each accused.