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A shocking case of fraud has come to light involving well-known television celebrities, including Tejasswi Prakash, Ankita Lokhande, Arjun Bijlani, and Aayush Sharma, who were allegedly duped by an advertising company. The scam, amounting to nearly ₹1.5 crore, was uncovered after celebrity manager Roshan Bhinder filed a complaint at Chembur Police Station against five accused individuals. The Mumbai Police have now launched an investigation into the matter.
How the Scam Unfolded
According to Bhinder, the fraud began in July 2024, when she was approached by an individual claiming to need 25 artists for an energy drink advertisement. The accused initially assured Bhinder of an advance payment of ₹10 lakh, even sending a receipt as confirmation. However, the money never arrived in her account.
Later, Bhinder was instructed to bring the artists to an event in Dadar, where 100 actors, including Arjun Bijlani, Abhishek Bajaj, and Harsh Rajput, were invited. 25 celebrities were finalized for the advertisement, and the total payment was set at ₹1.32 crore.
To gain their trust, the accused sent an image of a ₹15 lakh cheque as assurance, promising that the amount would be credited soon. Believing this, Bhinder proceeded with the advertisement shoot, and the promotional content was uploaded on social media as per the agreement. However, the payments, which were to be cleared within 35 days, never materialized.
Cheque Bounce and Unpaid Dues
At the Dadar event, two cheques—one for ₹2 lakh and another for ₹90,000—were handed to the artists, but both bounced. When Bhinder confronted the accused, she was told that ₹22.5 lakh had been transferred from Dubai, citing currency exchange issues. However, the amount never reached her account.
Further, cheques of ₹6.5 lakh for Tejasswi Prakash and ₹1.25 lakh for Adrija Roy also bounced. On October 18, 2024, the accused issued two more cheques of ₹35 lakh and ₹45 lakh, promising to deposit the amount within two days. Trusting their claim, Bhinder paid an advance of ₹35 lakh to several actors, including Jay Bhanushali, Ankita Lokhande, Aayush Sharma, Sana Sultan, Kushal Tandon, and Abhishek Bajaj.
However, the ₹80 lakh cheque issued by the accused also bounced, leading to a complete failure of payments. As a result, Bhinder lost ₹16.91 lakh from her personal funds, while the total fraud reached ₹1.32 crore.
Who Are the Accused?
Following the complaint, Chembur Police have registered an FIR against five individuals, including, Tanish Chheja, Manu Srivastava, Faisal Rafique, Abdul and Hrithik Panchal.
One of the accused is reportedly a resident of Madhya Pradesh, and police are investigating their whereabouts and financial transactions.
List of Celebrities Affected
The scam has affected several prominent television personalities, including:
- Tejasswi Prakash
- Ankita Lokhande
- Aayush Sharma
- Arjun Bijlani
- Abhishek Bajaj
- Karan Kundrra
- Jay Bhanushali
- Paras Kalnawat
- Jannat Zubair
- Mohit Malik
- Vijayendra Kumeria
- Sana Makbul
- Kushal Tandon
- Helly Shah
- Samarth Jurel
These celebrities were approached through Bhinder’s celebrity management company, which provides artists for brand endorsements and advertisements.
The Mumbai Police are now probing the case, verifying bank transactions, phone records, and social media communications of the accused. Authorities suspect this could be a larger fraud racket, targeting not only celebrities but also event management firms and advertising agencies.
Speaking about the case, an investigating officer from Chembur Police Station said, “We are examining financial records and questioning individuals linked to this case. If necessary, we will take further legal action to recover the defrauded amount and hold the accused accountable.”
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