Haldiram director loses Rs 9.38 cr in fake investment deal:
Kamal Agarwal, a prominent promoter of the renowned sweets and snacks brand Haldiram’s, was allegedly duped of Rs9.38 crore in a corporate scam involving a dry fruit company.
The complaint, lodged by Sachin Dawle, a liaison officer at Om Industries India Private Limited, a subsidiary of the Haldiram’s Group, led to a case being registered on July 9 at Kalamna Police Station in Nagpur City under various provisions of fraud, cheating, and forgery.
Nagpur Police are currently investigating a case where Kamal Agarwal, a director of Haldiram Foods International Ltd and owner of Om Industries, was allegedly duped of ₹9.38 crore in a fake investment scheme.
The fraud, which took place between December 2022 and September 2023, involved a family from Mumbai who lured Agarwal into investing in their company, Royal Dryfruit Private Limited.
The accused presented forged financial documents, including fake balance sheets and business records, to convince Agarwal to invest, initially promising a 35% partnership for an investment of ₹12.5 crore.
Agarwal, acting on behalf of Om Industries, initially transferred ₹4.9 crore and later invested a total of ₹9.38 crore after being promised a 76% stake in the company.
The suspects in the case are identified as Sameer Abdul Hussain Lalani, his wife Heena Lalani, their son Alishan Lalani, and their associate Prakash Bhosale, all of whom are currently at large.
A private investigation revealed the financial discrepancies, prompting Om Industries to renegotiate, securing a 76% stake agreement. To revive the accused’s struggling company, Om Industries gave a loan of around Rs4.5 crore.
However, the accused continued to demand more funds, raising red flags. When confronted, they refused to repay the total sum of Rs. 9.38 crore, leading to a formal complaint. The case comes amidst Haldiram’s high-profile merger of its Nagpur and Delhi-based entities.
The Kalamna police are investigating the matter under relevant sections of the law. Authorities are also looking into the possibility that the accused have defrauded other individuals and are already being investigated by multiple government bodies for financial irregularities.
