Abhay Gandhi, 31, who was booked for a fraud running over Rs 100 crore, showed an uncanny resemblance to Batcha who had committed suicide.
When the police raided the absconding accused's house, they found a bunch of cards pinned on to a soft board that listed out targets - an Audi car by September 5, 2012, get married to Deepika Padukone by July 5, 2011, earn Rs 1 crore by September 5, 2013, dream house named like Abhishek Bachchan's bungalow Jalsa by September 5, 2014, Rs 10,000 crore by September 5, 2030 and earn 25,000 crore USDs by September 5, 2040. All of them had photographs of his targets.
The police believe September 5 was a significant date for Gandhi. The man wanted for the multi-crore scam was a meticulous planner. Abhay Gandhi, promoter of one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in the recent past, knew what he wanted and how.
He pulled out of the scene when the going got hot, closed shop and fled abroad. Police believes he might be in London. The police recovered goods from his house that give a peek into the fast life that he led.
The police do not know much about Gandhi except that he started big in 2008 with a slew of seminars promoting his investment firm with the formula to grow money.
"Later, he had started charging the participants around Rs 2700 for the seminars conducted in posh hotels across the state. He had some of the shrewdest agents who got him funds worth crores from cash-rich areas such as Khambhat that sees influx of money from foreign shores. With timely payments in the initial phase, he earned confidence and more investment," said a crime branch official.
Police found notes of Rs1000 denomination stuck on walls of all the rooms in his house in Vasna. "It was apparently part of his motivation scheme that he used to follow to attract money. His goal list also had images and status alongside. For instance he targeted a laptop by March 2, 2011 and marked 'completed' when it was achieved," said SM Chaudhary, inspector of crime branch.
"Gandhi has not invested in any property. All properties except the Vasna house belonging to his father, are rented ones. Most of the properties' rent is overdue. He not only fled abroad but also took close relatives with him including his parents," said a crime branch official.
