Sandeepa Virk, a famous Instagram influencer with millions of followers and crores of likes on social media, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case involving ₹40 crore.
Crime News: Sandeepa Virk, a well-known influencer with over 1.2 million followers on Instagram, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a ₹40 crore money laundering case. This case is linked to an FIR registered at a police station in Mohali, where she was charged under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. According to the complaint, Sandeepa Virk is accused of extorting large sums of money from people through false pretenses and misrepresentation.
Sandeepa Virk is a popular content creator with over 1.2 million followers on Instagram. She has built a large fan following on social media through her fashion, beauty, and lifestyle posts. However, she is now in the headlines after being linked to a major financial crime.
How did the case begin?
This case is linked to an FIR registered at a police station in Mohali, with complaints filed under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. According to the allegations, Sandeepa extorted crores of rupees from people through misrepresentation and false promises. Taking action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, the Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at several locations linked to Sandeepa Virk in Delhi and Mumbai on Tuesday and Wednesday. During this, investigators found crucial evidence related to several shell companies, suspicious bank transactions, and digital transactions.
Fake Website Exposed
According to the ED's report, Sandeepa identified herself as the owner of a website called Hyboocare.com, which claimed to sell FDA-approved beauty products. However, the investigation revealed that:
- The products listed on the website did not actually exist.
- There was no user registration facility on the site.
- The payment gateway consistently failed.
- The website had no real presence on social media.
According to the investigating agency, this platform was created solely to raise money from investors and customers, while no real business operation was taking place. The ED says that Sandeepa raised crores of rupees from people through this fake business model and invested this money in real estate and luxury items. When the victims demanded refunds, they were put off with excuses.
