SC issues notice on plea seeking CBI probe in alleged scam involving motivational speaker Vivek Bindra

A bench of justices MM Sundresh and SVN Bhatti on Monday sought Centre and others responses to the petition.

"Issue notice returnable in six weeks," the court said on the February 26 order.

The petition was filed by Shubham Chaudhary and others, claiming that they had deposited their hard earned money to the money chain like scheme of the

Bada Business Pvt Ltd senior advocate Vikas Singh, advocates Sureshan P, Vikas Nagwan and Yogesh Aggarwal appeared for the petitioners.

Claiming that the issue has national ramifications as the complainants hail from different states and have already submitted written complaints to the local police, the petitioners prayed for directions to the Union of India Ministry of Home to constitute a special investigation team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the large-scale, nationwide scam perpetrated and done by one Vivek Bindra and Bada Business Pvt Ltd whereby he has duped and cheated the petitioners and other general public.

The petition said that despite submitting written complaints by the petitioners and other similarly placed individuals, no action has been taken by the police. No one came to be arrested. No proper investigation has been undertaken. Not a single statement of any of the witnesses has been recorded, the petition further added.

"Keeping in view of the widespread nature of the scam running in various states, it is imperative to direct a centralized agency to probe the matter so as to avoid multiplicity of proceedings, a fair investigation, and a one-stop point of contact for the youth duped by the said Bindra. It is most respectfully submitted that the multiple complaints submitted by the petitioners and similarly placed others disclose a prima facie case punishable under Section 420, 406 read with Section 34 of IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978 and hence a writ of mandamus as prayed in the petition is required to be issued to the respondents," the petition said.

"In such circumstances referred to above, the writ petitioners are here before this Court with the present writ petition seeking appropriate relief. The complaints submitted by the petitioner to the local police authorities will disclose that the accused tricked people into giving him their money through a Ponzi scheme that promised big returns. The alleged Ponzi scheme is similar to one scam run by A 26-year-old BTech graduate named Anubhav Mittal of Noida," read the plea.

"It is submitted that the said Mr. VivekBindra is a self-proclaimed motivational speaker and who, along with his marketing team, deceived the petitioners and other thousands of youngsters, who hail from over a dozen different states from all over India.

The modus operandi adopted by said person and company is that he uses names of well-known personalities on his websites, in banner advertisements and extensively market out the same by falsely representing that the said known personalities are "Professors" in the paid courses run under the banner of Bada Business and Vivek Bindra," the petition said.

"The extensive advertisements are being run on various social media platforms with the sole purpose of enrolling the youngsters in a course that misleadingly promised to train the enrolled candidates in the modes and methods of building a successful business through which one could earn anywhere between Rs 15000 and Rs 100000 per month, failing which Vivek Bindra promised to refund the entire fee," he added.

The petitioner also sought to issue direction to the Directorate of Enforcement to conduct an inquiry into the alleged money laundering activities Vivek Bindra and Bada Business Pvt Ltd after registering a case as per the appropriate legal provisions and the central government or CBI, to take interim measures to safeguard the financial interest of the petitioners by taking appropriate steps to freeze the bank accounts of the accused, Vivek Bindra and Bada Business Pvt Ltd. (ANI)