The Gujarat CID Crime has registered a case against Osia Hyper Retail Limited directors Dhirendra Gautam Chopra and Kavita Dhirendra Chopra and another accused over alleged financial fraud involving goods worth nearly Rs 16 crore.
The complaint was filed at the CID Crime Ahmedabad Zone Police Station under Sections 318(4), 316(5), 61(1) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Investigators allege that the two directors, in association with Ruchi Rajkumar Baheti, used employees working at Osia Mall outlets across Gujarat to source merchandise from traders.
According to the CID Crime, staff members approached traders by phone and in person and placed orders for goods on behalf of the company. The agency alleges that the directors were aware of the company’s financial position and the lack of sufficient funds in its Punjab National Bank account.
Despite this, the directors allegedly issued cheques against the purchases, either directly to traders or through mall employees. The cheques were later dishonoured, leaving traders facing losses linked to goods valued at around Rs 16 crore, the investigating agency said.
The scale of the financial dispute appears to be considerably larger, with more than 250 traders having reportedly submitted claims exceeding Rs 250 crore before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), according to the CID Crime.
The police have also included a provision covering other persons whose involvement may emerge as the investigation progresses. The case is being investigated by Y P Jadeja, Detective Police Inspector attached to the Fraud Investigation Cell of CID Crime, Gandhinagar.
The CID Crime has appealed to traders who claim to have suffered losses in the matter to approach the investigating officer and provide relevant information as part of the ongoing probe.