Mumbai: Woman Duped of ₹40 Lakh Through 'World Cup Special' Investment Scheme; Accused Arrested

A woman was allegedly defrauded of approximately ₹40 lakh after being lured into investing in a so-called “World Cup Special” scheme promising high returns. The Govandi Police have arrested the owner of a private company in connection with the case. The accused has been identified as Pravin Obhan, who has now been remanded to police custody by the court.

According to the police, Obhan is said to have misled multiple people by offering various attractive investment plans under his company "M.S. Fin Services," located in Chembur. Senior Police Inspector Tanaji Bhagat informed that further investigations are underway as more victims may surface in the case.

The complainant, Neelam Chiplunkar, a resident of Curry Road and engaged in the real estate business with her husband Subhash Chiplunkar, came into contact with Obhan through a mutual friend. In July 2024, the couple visited Obhan’s office in Chembur, where they were introduced to several investment schemes. Among them was a "World Cup Special" plan for a 15-month term. Under this plan, an upfront investment of ₹40 lakh would allegedly yield ₹8 lakh starting from the fourth month, followed by monthly returns of ₹8 lakh for twelve months – totaling ₹96 lakh – in addition to the principal repayment.

Tempted by these claims, the Chiplunkars went ahead and invested ₹40 lakh in phases in July 2024, and a formal agreement was signed. As per the agreement, no returns were expected for the initial three months. Starting from the fourth month, however, they began requesting some returns. Obhan reportedly paid ₹1 lakh each in August, September, and October 2024, followed by ₹5 lakh in November 2024. In January 2025, he gave another ₹4 lakh and convinced them to reinvest the remaining ₹4 lakh into another scheme titled “Money Bond Daily.”

However, no further payments were received after February 2025. Despite repeated attempts to contact him, Obhan remained unresponsive. Eventually, the couple demanded the return of their full investment, but to no avail. It became clear that Obhan had no intention of returning the money, thus defrauding them after initially paying partial returns.

Realizing the fraud, Neelam Chiplunkar filed a complaint with the Govandi Police. Based on the investigation, police registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for cheating and criminal breach of trust, as well as sections of the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act.

Obhan was subsequently arrested. Preliminary inquiries suggest that he may have defrauded several others using similar tactics, raising the possibility of the scam amount increasing significantly. Police stated that further interrogation could lead to startling revelations.