Kanpur: He is accused of duping over 700 people across several countries of nearly Rs 970 crore, yet it was his craving for some ‘tawa roti’ and vegetables that did in Ravindranath Soni, owner of the BlueChip Group.
Soni operated from Dubai and lured investors from India, UAE, Oman and the US with promises of high returns.
Originally from Delhi, Soni (44), shifted to Dubai sevaral years ago. He established Bluechip Trading there and subsequently floated 11 sister companies to widen the façade of legitimacy. The firm targeted investors in India, Dubai, Australia, Malaysia, Japan, the US and several other countries, offering high-return plans and using slick marketing to lure clients.
According to a Hindustan Times report, Soni allegedly deceived investors by promising 30-40% returns, funnelling a large share of the proceeds into cryptocurrency and routing transactions through foreign associates, including individuals based in the US.
After his racket was busted, Soni fled Dubai and went to Dehradun, where he started living discreetly with family members in a hotel.
He knew that the Kanpur Police were already looking for him in a Rs 42.29 fraud case, but never suspected they would travel him to Dehradun.
All was going well, save for the food at the hotel. Tired with having the same fare, he insisted on ordering something he preferred.
Investigators said Soni downloaded a food delivery app on a relative’s phone, assuming it would not attract attention. But he entered his own name and shared his exact location to place an order for tawa rotis, vegetables and pizza. In that moment, he unknowingly broadcast his presence to the teams hunting him.
The Dehradun crime branch and surveillance teams of Kanpur police were already monitoring the mobile numbers of Soni’s relatives in connection with the Kanpur fraud case As soon as Soni’s login synced, an alert appeared on their systems showing his real-time location.
Officers who had been in the area for routine surveillance immediately swung into action. They traced the coordinates to the hotel and moved in. Soni, unaware that his dinner plans had exposed him, was caught off-guard.
He was at the door of his hideout to collect a food delivery order when the cops nabbed him last week after an 18-month international manhunt.
Raghubir Lal, commissioner of police, Kanpur, confirmed that while a local fraud case had already been registered against Soni, complainants from Dubai and Kerala have now got in touch.
“The scale of the fraud is much larger than what was initially known,” HT has quoted an official as saying, adding that fresh complaints continue to emerge.
A 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed under additional DCP (crime) Anjali Vishwakarma, given the sheer spread of the alleged scam. The team has taken over all files, statements and digital records from the Kotwali police and is now mapping the financial and logistical network through which Soni is believed to have operated.
Several properties in Delhi, Noida, Meerut, Gurugram and other NCR pockets have been identified that are allegedly linked to Soni. Many of these assets, officers said, were purchased in the names of close relatives to avoid detection. The SIT is verifying ownership details and examining transactions to determine whether these properties were acquired using the proceeds of the alleged fraud.
Some high-end flats and commercial units are also under scanner, and more assets may surface as financial records are scrutinised, sources have been attributed as saying.
