In a case that seems straight out of a movie, a couple allegedly scammed people of nearly Rs 35 crore through their dubious "Revival World" therapy centre in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur. The couple, Rajeev Kumar Dubey and his wife Rashmi Dubey, claimed to offer a miraculous age-reversing treatment called "hyperbaric oxygen therapy" through a so-called "Israel-made time machine" that promised to roll back years of ageing within months, according to police.
Alongside this, they introduced a pyramid scheme, attracting new customers with discounts and the promise of quick returns. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), Ankita Sharma revealed the couple's tactics on Friday, highlighting the scam that preyed on people’s desperation to stay young.
What was their modus operandi?
They also distributed pamphlets and put up hoardings claiming that the polluted air of Kanpur was causing people to age rapidly and their age-reversing "time machine" could transform 65-year-olds into 25-year-olds, the DCP said.
The accused couple offered several packages ranging from Rs 6,000 for 10 sessions to Rs 90,000 for a three-year reward system, she added. The fraud came to light after one of the victims, Renu Singh, lodged a police complaint alleging that she was duped of Rs 7 lakh by Rajeev and Rashmi. In her complaint, Singh expressed apprehension that the accused might have fled abroad after being exposed.
Case filed against couple
Based on the complaint, a case was registered against the couple under Section 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), DCP Sharma said. During the investigation, it came to light that the couple duped several others and amassed more than Rs 35 crore on the pretext of turning the elderly into 25-year-olds with their therapy, she said. The machine used by the accused at their therapy centre is being examined by experts, the officer said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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