Ankita Lokhande, Tejasswi Prakash Among 25 TV Stars Duped in ₹1.48 Crore Energy Drink Scam; Mumbai Police Book 5 Accused

In a shocking turn of events, the television industry has been rocked by a major fraud case involving several prominent celebrities. According to reports, popular TV personalities Ankita Lokhande, Tejasswi Prakash, Adrija Roy, and Aayush Sharma are among 25 celebrities who have been duped in a ₹1.48 crore scam orchestrated by an Indore-based energy drink company.

Mumbai Police have registered a case against five individuals linked to the company, identified as Sky 63 Energy Drinks. The accused include Tanish Chhajed, Manu Shrivastava, Faizal Idrii, Abdul, and Riitik Panchal. They have been booked under various sections related to fraud, and an investigation is currently underway to trace the culprits and recover the lost funds.

The complaint was lodged by Roshan Bhinder, owner of the celebrity management agency Ayman Entertainment, at Chembur Police Station. Bhinder claimed that Chhajed and Shrivastava approached him in early 2024, posing as the owners of Sky 63 Energy Drinks. The duo hired Ayman Entertainment to facilitate celebrity endorsements and social media promotions for their brand.

Bhinder, trusting their proposal, secured 25 well-known celebrities for the campaign. The accused had allegedly assured Bhinder of an advance payment and later claimed to have transferred ₹10 lakh. However, no funds were received.

Despite the missing payment, Bhinder went ahead with the campaign preparations and organized a grand promotional event in Dadar, Mumbai, on August 10, 2024. The event saw the attendance of nearly 100 celebrities, including Arjun Bijlani, Abhishek Bajaj, and Harsh Rajput, from which 25 stars were finalized for the official ad campaign.

As per the agreement, the celebrities were to receive a combined payment of ₹1.32 crore, with Bhinder's commission set at ₹16.91 lakh. To gain Bhinder's trust, the accused even shared an image of a ₹15 lakh cheque as a payment guarantee. They further assured him that the entire amount would be settled within 35 days.

Relying on these assurances, Bhinder initiated the campaign and even advanced ₹35 lakh to several celebrities from his own funds. Promotional content, including videos, was soon posted on social media platforms, featuring the participating celebrities.

As of now, Mumbai police are continuing their investigation to apprehend the accused and recover the scammed amount. Further developments in the case are await.

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