MM Rajkumar Chauhan has directed the Station House Officer (SHO) of Greater Kailash police station to register a First Information Report (FIR). The SHO has to file an action taken report by October 24.

The Helios Group of Companies, which has its headquarters in Patna with branches in Lucknow, Delhi and Mumbai, released advertisements in both the print and electronic media about its various ``profitable'' investment schemes. The group next organised a series of parties and meetings in clubs and hotels around Delhi and ``invited hundreds of unemployed youth and other needy people to work on their behalf in different areas in Delhi'', according to the complaints.

These people were allegedly told to open branches on behalf of the company all over the Capital and collect money from local residents. They were apparently told that they would be given a fixed salary plus commission for each investment they brought in, and were directed to deposit all the money with the group's head office in Greater Kailash.

The complainants have said that the company's chairman-cum-managing director Sanjay Kumar Singh had assured them that the money collected would be reinvested in various schemes and eventually paid back with interest.

Operations flowed smoothly in the beginning. Approximately 300 branches were opened all over the Capital, employing over a 1,000 people. These people, in turn, persuaded local residents to invest in Helios' schemes.

According to the complaints, there was no sign of the money after it was deposited at the Greater Kailash head office. Once the schemes matured, no payments were allegedly made. Worried investors tried contacting Sanjay Kumar Singh and his directors, only to be placated and asked to work harder. Those who had opened branches apparently stopped receiving their salaries, and started being hounded by local residents who wanted their money back.

The investors filed a detailed complaint with Police Commissioner V N Singh on July 15. But when no action was taken, they decided to move court. The investors have asked that the managers of the Helios Group be prosecuted under Sections 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) read with Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

Complaints have been filed against the following people in the Helios Group: chairman-cum-managing director Sanjay Kumar Singh, directors Anjani Kumar Singh, D P Singh, Rakesh Sinha, S. Singh, N.K. Pandey and executive director Sameer Sen.