Mau (Uttar Pradesh): A major supply-chain fraud linked to online commerce has come to light in Mau district, where 102 saree vendors and weavers have alleged that sarees worth nearly ₹8 crore have gone missing over the past three months despite refunds and cancellations being officially processed on the Meesho platform.
The traders have accused Meesho and its authorised logistics partners — Expressbase and Valmo Courier Services — of systematic diversion of returned goods, fake delivery updates and manipulation of logistics records. Written complaints have been submitted at Mau Kotwali police station, but vendors allege that no concrete action has been taken so far by either the platform or law enforcement authorities.
Refunds Approved, Goods Never Reached Sellers
According to the affected traders, Mau is a major hub for saree production, with thousands of consignments shipped daily through online marketplaces. Meesho accounts for a significant share of these sales.
Traders said that due to incorrect addresses, customer refusal or non-availability, a large number of orders — estimated at nearly 40% — fail delivery and are returned. While Meesho’s seller dashboard reflects such orders as “returned” and “refunded”, the physical sarees allegedly never reach the vendors.
On December 12 alone, traders claim sarees worth ₹10 lakh were marked as returned on the platform but were never delivered back to sellers.
Courier Partners at the Centre of Allegations
The complaints place Meesho’s local delivery partners — Expressbase and Valmo — at the centre of the alleged fraud. Both courier firms are reportedly operated by two brothers residing in Ballipura, under Mau Kotwali jurisdiction.
Vendors allege that consignments were deliberately siphoned off during transit. In multiple cases, deliveries were allegedly marked as “completed” without OTP verification, raising serious questions about compliance with standard delivery protocols.
Returned sarees collected from customers were neither returned to sellers nor compensated, resulting in sustained losses for small traders and weavers.
Courier Owners Allegedly Resold Diverted Sarees
During internal inquiries by the traders, a disturbing pattern allegedly emerged. Vendors claim that the owners of the courier companies have themselves registered as sellers on online platforms.
According to the complaints, sarees sourced from Mau weavers at around ₹400 per piece were allegedly resold online at ₹250–₹300, severely undercutting genuine sellers. Traders suspect that returned sarees were systematically diverted and reintroduced into the market under new seller accounts operated by courier-linked entities.
This alleged conflict of interest has intensified demands for a forensic audit of logistics data, seller registrations and warehouse movement records.
Traders Demand Immediate Police Action
Anger has been mounting among affected vendors, many of whom have been visiting Mau Kotwali for the past two days seeking police intervention. Several traders said they were unable to meet senior officers.
“This is not just about money. It threatens the survival of Mau’s traditional saree industry,” said one vendor, warning of protests if action is delayed.
The traders have demanded registration of an FIR for criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery and conspiracy, along with seizure of courier records and suspension of delivery operations pending investigation.
Police Say Preliminary Inquiry Underway
Police officials confirmed that written complaints have been received and said a preliminary inquiry has begun. A senior officer said the case involves complex layers of e-commerce platforms, third-party logistics, digital records and financial transactions, requiring detailed verification.
“All delivery data, transaction logs and platform records will be examined. If criminal intent or misappropriation is established, appropriate legal action will follow,” the officer said.
Industry-Wide Concerns Over E-Commerce Accountability
The case has raised serious concerns over transparency, seller protection and accountability in online marketplaces, particularly for small artisans and traditional industries dependent on third-party logistics networks.
Industry observers say the alleged fraud exposes systemic vulnerabilities in e-commerce supply chains and highlights the urgent need for stronger regulatory oversight to protect small sellers from organised digital exploitation.
