The Dargamitta Police arrested the MD and two managers of Veehan Foods & Beverages for allegedly cheating multiple investors by collecting large sums of money under the pretext of franchise businesses and failing to honor promised benefits.
The accused were identified as Burle Vijay Kumar, MD of Veehan Foods & Beverages and Grameena Home Foods, along with managers Annepogu Mahendra Kumar and Sankranthi Suneel. They operated from the company’s office at Magunta Layout in Nellore. Their arrest followed a joint complaint lodged by 18 victims on December 31.
According to Nellore SP Ajitha Vejendla, the complainants were lured by social media advertisements offering franchises for sweets, biscuits, pickles, and other food products. The accused allegedly promised franchisees monthly benefits, including Rs12,000 as shop rent, Rs8,000 as employee salary, Rs7,000 as interest, and a 30% commission on sales, after collecting deposits of Rs3.5 lakh per person.
The victims paid the amount and initially received goods and promised benefits until August 2025. From September 2025 onward, the accused allegedly stopped supplying goods and failed to pay rent, salary, and interest. When investors requested refunds, the accused allegedly began avoiding them.
Police investigations revealed that Vijay Kumar had founded the company in January 2025 and collected deposits ranging from Rs3.5 lakh to Rs20 lakh from nearly 500 people across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and other states. The accused initially paid benefits to build trust and later defaulted, misappropriating the crores collected for personal use.
The three accused were arrested on January 6 and presented before the court. Vijay Kumar is currently lodged in Nellore Central Jail.
