Gorakhpur: Police have arrested a woman from Maharashtra in connection with a ₹1.58 crore fraud case involving the promise of operating a foodcourt at a water sports complex. The arrested woman has been identified as Kajal Nilesh Kumar Dave, a resident of Ganpati Mandir Road in Nandurbar, Maharashtra. After questioning, she was produced before the court and sent to judicial custody. The main accused in the case, Vibhanshu Vaibhav Mishra of Tatanagar, Jharkhand, had already been arrested earlier.
Lease Agreement and Financial Transactions
According to police, the fraud was carried out by promising to develop and operate a foodcourt at the Water Sports Complex in the Chiluaatal police station area. The complaint was filed by Shubham Bathwal, manager of the victim company, Mesers Adeep Leisure Private Limited.
The company had taken the lease of the Water Sports Complex from Mesers E-Bioscope Entertainment Private Limited and planned to develop a modern foodcourt along with boating, rail rides and other recreational facilities inside the premises.
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Forged Documents of Well-Known Brands
During the investigation, it was revealed that a Letter of Intent and foodcourt lease agreement were signed on October 13, 2024, with VVM-21 Hospitality OPC Private Limited owner Vibhanshu Vaibhav Mishra. After the agreement, the victim company allegedly paid a total of ₹1.58 crore to the accused in several instalments.
It is alleged that after receiving the money, the accused also submitted fake documents of several well-known food brands. The investigation found that the accused showed forged documents in the name of Nazeer Foods, Baskin-Robbins, House of Candy, Rolls Singh, The Belgian Waffle Company, Flavours of Lucknow, Chai Ka, The Waffle Company and NS Foods. When the victim company contacted these brands directly, it was confirmed that none of them had entered into any agreement with the accused party.
The victim company stated that the accused kept assuring them that the foodcourt project would start soon, but no work was initiated even after the scheduled timeline. Later, on August 13, 2025, the accused issued a cheque of ₹44.04 lakh, which bounced when deposited in the bank. After that, the accused allegedly took an additional ₹10 lakh but did not return the money.
Investigation Expands to Trace Wider Network
Police said the arrested woman is being interrogated to determine whether the accused group was involved in similar frauds against other individuals. Financial transaction records, documents and digital evidence are being thoroughly examined.
Authorities added that the investigation may be expanded to uncover the full network behind the fraud and track how the money obtained through the project was used.
Meanwhile, the victim company has demanded strict legal action against the accused and recovery of the financial losses. The company said the fraud caused not only monetary damage but also harmed business trust through false promises and forged documents.
Police stated that a charge sheet will be filed in court after the completion of the investigation and the roles of other potential accused persons will also be clarified.
