Surat: Five people and their associates were booked at Sarthana police station on Thursday for cheating over 43 people of Rs 1.85 lakh in the past few months. The accused started a vegetable business with multilevel marketing concept and sought investment from the victims.Police booked Hiren Mewada, Alpesh Desai, Ashok Bhanderi, Magan Bhanderi and Raju Desai for cheating people. They are yet to identify other accused who were known as Hiren, Bipin, Kirit Vala and Bala Darbar. The complaint was lodged by a businessman Mitesh Gandhi, who lives in Jahangirpura. The accused were booked under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 406 (breach of trust), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation).The accused set up an office of Gujarat Vegetable Market Development (GVMD) at Royal Plaza in Sarthana and established their presence through internet marketing to attract maximum number of members to their multilevel marketing business in which people were supposed to buy cards by paying a specific amount. The members used to receive discount in vegetable products from GVMD. The promoters had also set up a vegetable market at their place of business.“So far 43 people have approached us. More people could come forward with their complaint against the accused. We have launched a manhunt for the accused who are on the run,” the police said.

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