Ahmedabad: Ex-MLA’s Wife Held in ₹31.59 Lakh Investment Scam

The Ahmedabad cybercrime branch has arrested two people, including the wife of a former MLA, for allegedly cheating investors by posing as representatives of a reputed financial services company.

Police identified the main accused as Hiralba Jadeja, 60, wife of former independent Kutiyana MLA Bhura Munja Jadeja, and her associate Naitik Mavani, a resident of Mumbai. The duo allegedly lured investors with promises of high returns on stock and IPO investments.

According to officials, the complainant was first contacted via WhatsApp and added to a fake group made in the company’s name. The accused made video and voice calls, pretending to be company representatives, and convinced the victim to invest through links they provided. The victim transferred ₹31.59 lakh to multiple accounts after being promised huge profits.

During the probe, police found that ₹50,000 and ₹3.25 lakh were transferred to two accounts linked to the suspects. Another account showed credits of ₹129.06 crore and debits of ₹128.89 crore, indicating large-scale money circulation.

Investigators said the accused operated bank accounts under the guise of export-import traders dealing in garlic, onions, and peanuts. They also floated a firm named Viththal Pulse Commodities in Junagadh GIDC with the help of another accused, Sachin Kanakray Mehta, 48, from Malad, Mumbai.

Both Jadeja and Mavani were brought from Porbandar and Junagadh jails on a transfer warrant on November 7 and remanded to police custody for three days.

Earlier, Porbandar cybercrime police had filed a 3,000-page chargesheet against Jadeja and others in a massive cyberfraud racket. She also faces abduction and extortion charges in another case.