Complainant seeks inquiry into Qnet's sponsorship of IIFA Awards

A Mumbai resident today approached the Economic Offences Wing of police seeking inquiry into QNet, a multi-level marketing company facing allegations of duping investors, being one of the sponsors of onoging International Indian Film Academy Awards, 2015. The EOW of Mumbai police is probing the Hong Kong-based Qnet for an alleged Rs 425-crore fraud.

Gurpreet Singh Anand, who is one of the original complainants against the firm, contends in the fresh complaint that the "purpose of sponsoring IIFA awards is to further the Qnet scam in India and create an image that it is a respectable brand". 

IIFA website lists Qnet as one of the 'official direct selling partners'.

While Singh has demanded probe into "why they (organisers) have appointed this company as sponsor", IIFA officials were unavailable for comment. Its legal cell informed PTI that senior officials were busy in Malaysia where the awards ceremony is taking place.

The EOW has so far arrested 17 persons for allegedly duping investors by selling Qnet products including magnetic disks, herbal products and holiday schemes through allegedly fraudulent means.

It has been accused of using the banned 'binary pyramid business model', and a case has been registered under the Prize, Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978.