Pune: Pune Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) is investigating a large-scale cheating case involving Atmanirbhar Concepts India, which allegedly swindled investors of ₹3.48 crore. According to officials, 43 complaints have been lodged so far, with two new complaints coming in just last week. Police have urged other victims to come forward and file their grievances against the company.
The fraud first came to light in May 2024. Police have also sent notices to other cities, including Mumbai, Thane, and Delhi, where the company maintained offices.
The accused — Kush Chaturvedi (45), Rachana Harish Shringhe (70), Manjusha Shashikant Kshirsagar (50), and Shashikant Balkrishna Kshirsagar (55) — are charged with cheating investors by promising lucrative returns of 8–9% per month. One victim, a resident of Yerawada, approached Bund Garden Police Station after investing ₹4.80 lakh along with his wife in November 2022. The couple initially received ₹54,425 till May 2023 before payments stopped. When questioned, company representatives assured them that the company was being audited and would resume payments after the process. However, investors were eventually handed post-dated cheques that bounced.
Police said the company’s founder, Kush Chaturvedi, lured people into investing in several ventures promoted under the banner of Atmanirbhar Concepts India — including a pharmaceutical business, a supermarket, and a travel company — promising them monthly returns. Investors received payouts in the early stages to gain their trust but were left in the lurch after a few months.
The company was headquartered in Haryana and had also set up a small office near Pune Railway Station. Police have found that all company offices have been shut and that employees are absconding. Efforts to trace and arrest the accused are ongoing.
The police have urged anyone who invested with Atmanirbhar Concepts India to contact the EOW as soon as possible.
