Pune: In a shocking incident, a couple has been accused of defrauding individuals of ₹21,50,000 by luring them with false promises of employment at a prominent company and forcing them to invest in the Dhyeyapurti Finance Fund.

The Bharati Vidyapeeth Police have filed a case against the accused, Sunil Kirdak and Pratibha Sunil Kirdak, residents of Balkawdenagar, Narayan Chambers in Katraj.

The case was brought to light by Archana Abasahab Salunke, 43, a resident of Katraj, who filed a complaint with the police. The fraudulent activities reportedly took place at Narayan Chambers in Katraj from 2019 to 2022.

According to the police, the accused promised Salunke a job at the company and subsequently collected ₹6,50,000 from her.

They also coerced Salunke’s sister-in-law, her husband, and their friends, Madhukar Dhanawade and Sanjay Shinde, into investing a total of ₹14,00,000 in the Dhyeyapurti Finance Fund, assuring them of returns of ₹25,000 per member each month for six months.

However, the complainant never received a job offer from the company, and when she demanded her money back, she was defrauded of ₹14,00,000.

In another case, Kalpana Farade was also promised a job at the company and was coerced into investing ₹7,50,000 in the same finance fund. The investigation is being led by Police Sub-Inspector Ratikant Koli.