Lucknow: Celebrity hairstylist Jawed Habib and his family have been accused of duping over 100 people of crores of rupees by the Sambhal police in Uttar Pradesh.
Twenty cases have been registered against Habib and his son Anas Habib so far, India Today has reported. These include 19 cases filed recently. Habib’s wife has also been implicated. She was allegedly the founder of a fraudulent company that was used in the racket.
According to the report, lookout notices have been issued against all members of Habib’s family to prevent them from leaving the country. Habib has also been summoned to Sambhal for questioning. Police teams are currently collecting details of the family’s assets and will soon visit their properties in Delhi and Mumbai.
The police have claimed that Habib and his son lured investors during a 2023 event in Sambhal’s Sarayateen area. The event was organised under the banner of FLC (Follicle Global Company).
Nearly 150 attendees were promised returns of 50-75% in Bitcoins and Binance coins. Each investor reportedly invested Rs 5-7 lakh, resulting in fraud affecting more than 100 people.
The investors approached the police when no returns were paid within a year. Habib, his son, and others allegedly shut down the company and absconded. The first complaint was registered by victims at Raysatti police station, following which SP K K Bishnoi assured the victims of action and recovery of their money.
Further investigation into the matter led to 19 additional cases against Habib, his son, and Saifullah, the former head of Habib’s Sambhal operations. Cases have been filed under Sections 420 and 506 of the IPC and police suspect Habib’s wife played a key role in the company.
Bishnoi said the estimated financial fraud amounts to Rs 5-7 crore. Police teams have been instructed to probe Habib’s properties in Delhi and Mumbai under Section 107 of the CrPC, and, if chargesheets are filed, action under the Gangster Act, including property seizure, will follow.
