The Matunga police have arrested three individuals for allegedly making Rs 4.5 crore through a fraudulent crowdfunding campaign, exploiting the name of a child in need of medical treatment. According to the complainant Arif Sheikh, who runs the Navtarang Charitable Trust, the accused—Piyush Jain, a representative from the Impact Guru crowdfunding app, and the parents of a four-year-old child, Nikhat Khan and Naufil Kazi—created a fake appeal claiming the child was suffering from a rare disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).
The appeal, which was shared on social media, falsely claimed that the child was receiving treatment at Hinduja Hospital in Mahim and required Rs 17 crore for medical expenses. The fraudsters used the name of actress Sana Khan in the appeal, without her knowledge or consent. The campaign successfully raised Rs 4.5 crore, as many believed the plea to be genuine and donated money for the child’s treatment.
However, when the parents of the child approached Arif Sheikh for assistance, he grew suspicious and decided to investigate the matter. Upon contacting Hinduja Hospital, he discovered that no such child had been admitted there. Sheikh then filed a complaint with the Matunga police in June 2024, exposing the scam.
According to Sheikh, Piyush Jain conspired with Nikhat Khan and Naufil Kazi to fabricate the story of a four-month-old baby suffering from SMA and needing expensive treatment at the hospital. The police investigation is ongoing, with the accused facing charges of fraud and misappropriation of funds.
