The Central Crime Branch (CCB) will investigate the sensational fraud involving Homigo Realty Pvt Ltd, a real-estate startup founded by three IIT Kanpur alumni.
The decision to transfer the case from the police to the CCB was taken after many people, who lost several crores of rupees in the scam, filed multiple complaints at various police stations.
Confirming the decision, Bengaluru Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar told DH that since the first report of the case, several complaints had been registered against the firm and the IIT alumni.
"We have been receiving complaints in Whitefield, South and Southeast police divisions against Nikunj Batheja, the CEO of the firm, Jatin Mitruka, the COO, Akash Varma, the CTO, and the firm's director, Arpita, for cheating hundreds of people," he said.
He continued: "We have been collecting details from the victims and will transfer the case to the CCB. In fact, a special team was sent to Ludhiana, Patiala and Lucknow after our officials got a tip-off about the suspects' hideouts. But by the time our officials reached there, the trio had escaped."
Meanwhile, Bengaluru police have detained a couple of former directors of the firm and are interrogating them.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the real-estate firm piled up huge losses due to mismanagement of the promoters and the directors. Police are also considering writing to IIT Kanpur to get their academic and personal details.