Mumbai, March 27 (IANS) A major fraud case has been registered against 15 individuals, including Bollywood actor Shreyas Talpade, for allegedly duping people out of crores under the guise of a chit fund scheme.

According to reports, the accused were running a company named ‘The Loni Urban Multistate Credit and Thrift Cooperative Society Limited,’ which promised villagers lucrative returns on their investments. Agents of the company allegedly lured hundreds of people by assuring them that their money would double in a short span. However, after collecting crores from unsuspecting villagers, the company reportedly shut down operations and fled the district. The fraudulent scheme had been operational in Mahoba for the past ten years before coming under legal scrutiny.

Authorities have registered a case at the Srinagar police station, and an investigation is underway to uncover the full extent of the scam. Further action will be taken based on the findings of the probe.

This is not the first time Shreyas Talpade has been accused of fraud. Last month, an FIR was registered against him and actor Alok Nath in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly duping investors of over Rs. 9 crores. Alok Nath and Shreyas Talpade, along with five members of a credit cooperative society, were booked in a fraud case at Gomti Nagar Police Station in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

Previously, they, along with 11 others, were implicated in a similar case in Sonipat, Haryana, connected to a multi-level marketing fraud. The controversy centers around a cooperative society that had been soliciting investments for six years, assuring high returns. Reports suggest that Alok Nath and Shreyas Talpade had promoted the investment schemes of the society, lending credibility to the fraudulent operation.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Shreyas will next be seen in the upcoming comedy, "Housefull 5." The film stars an ensemble cast including Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Bobby Deol, Fardeen Khan, Nana Patekar, Jackie Shroff, Dino Morea, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Chitrangada Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Soundarya Sharma, and Chunky Pandey.