Mumbai, Feb 6 (NIE): The founder of a Nashik-based marketing company was booked last week for allegedly defrauding investors of Rs 1.25 crore. The company’s alleged illegal activities came to light when a Bhayander resident, along with others, approached the police on Saturday.

Complainant Nilesh Lade (40) came to know about the company, D T Marketing, from a friend last month. In his complaint to the police, Lade has alleged that the company gave a free gift to investors who invested Rs 8,500 and offered further incentives to those who would get others to invest. “For every new investor introduced, the company promised to pay Rs 1,000. My friend told me that the money invested would be circulated among investors and there wasn’t much work to be done apart from finding new investors,” Lade claimed.

In mid-January, Lade met the company founder, Sanjay Dusane, to learn more about its schemes. Following Dusane’s presentation, Lade claimed he was impressed enough to open two accounts, and invested Rs 8,500 in each. However, he began to grow suspicious when the free gift promised by the company did not arrive even after two weeks.

The police said that when the company representatives allegedly made excuses in response to Lade’s telephonic inquiries, he visited their Nashik office. “There, I met several other investors, who claimed to have been cheated by the company. Dusane was nowhere to be found,” Lade alleged in his complaint. These investors allegedly claimed that the best performing investors had been promised fully-paid foreign vacations and cars by the company, prompting them to pump in more money.

Not assured by promises made by the company representatives that their money would be refunded, a group of investors, including Lade, on Saturday filed a complaint at Navghar police station. “We have registered a case and are investigating the claims made by the investors,” said Inspector Vilas Sanap of the Economic Offences Wing, Thane Rural Police.