The co-founder of BharatPe, Ashneer Grover, and his wife, Madhuri Jain, have been summoned by Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) for questioning regarding an alleged fraud within the fintech giant.
The EOW has directed the couple to appear at its Mandir Marg office in New Delhi on November 21 as part of the ongoing probe into the purported Rs 81 crore fraud at BharatPe, according to Press Trust India sources.
This development unfolded soon after Ashneer Grover shared an unsettling experience on X regarding his encounter at the Delhi airport. He claimed that he and his wife were stopped while en route to New York for vacation, mentioning an unusual immigration encounter related to an ongoing lookout circular. “I was going to the US from 16-23 November. At immigration, they said LoC laga hua hai sir – EOW se check kar ke batate hai. Flight left in the meantime anyways – EOW folks directed Immigration to let us out so that we can return home,” Grover recounted.
EOW officials confirmed the summons and stated that the couple had been detained following the issuance of a lookout circular against them.
ED to Tighten its noose around Ashneer Grover – Reports
The FIR, filed in May by the Economic Offences Wing, implicated Ashneer Grover, Madhuri Jain, and several family members in an alleged Rs 81-crore fraud case. BharatPe accused Grover and his family of inflicting damages through various means, including illegitimate payments, forged invoices, and alleged destruction of evidence.
If found guilty, Grover, Madhuri, and others involved could face severe penalties ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment.
Additionally, BharatPe had previously filed a civil suit against Grover and his family, seeking up to Rs 88.67 crore in damages for alleged cheating and embezzlement of funds, underscoring the escalating legal battles surrounding the fintech unicorn.
Grover, in response to being stopped at the Delhi airport based on the lookout circular, asserted that he is not a “flight risk” and clarified that he had not received any communication from the probe agency until Friday. Despite multiple international trips since the FIR filing in May, this incident marked a sudden disruption in his travel plans, further amplifying the ongoing controversy and legal scrutiny surrounding BharatPe’s co-founder.
