In a significant development, Shivkuti Police arrested Nirupama Mishra, the mother-in-law of Abhishek Dwivedi, the managing director of Niharika Ventures, on Sunday night at Prayag Railway Station. Mishra’s arrest is connected to a large-scale fraud case, where she, along with her son-in-law Abhishek and his family, allegedly duped hundreds of investors, including students, traders, lawyers, and housewives.
Investigators revealed that Nirupama Mishra, who was once a member of the district Child Welfare Committee and had political ties in Faizabad, was involved in the fraudulent activities of Niharika Ventures. The company, which was purportedly involved in real estate investments, convinced investors to commit large sums of money, ranging from Rs20 lakh to Rs50 lakh, on the assurance of high returns and property deals.
However, over the past six years, Abhishek Dwivedi has been accused of delaying payments and failing to hand over the promised plots to investors. In addition to these financial crimes, the police also filed charges against the Dwivedi family for issuing threats and extorting money from the victims. The case was filed following complaints from Kusum Pandey and Kamal Dev, two of the many defrauded investors.
According to Shivkuti station house officer Sanjay Gupta, the police have initiated an investigation under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including fraud, embezzlement, extortion, and criminal intimidation. Authorities are working to track down other individuals involved in the scam and are seeking to recover the embezzled funds.
Nirupama Mishra’s arrest is expected to shed more light on the operations of Niharika Ventures, with authorities now focusing on the role of other family members, including Abhishek’s father OP Dwivedi, who is also implicated in the fraudulent activities.
