The ₹251 phone: Two arrested for cheating Ringing Bells’ proprietor Mohit Goyal

Two men were arrested on Saturday for allegedly cheating Mohit Goyal, who had offered people an android phone for Rs 251 through his company Ringing Bells in February 2016.

The two men were identified as Vikas Sharma, 35, and Jeetu, 40. Both accused are residents of Delhi and run a company ‘Vie Technology Private Limited’. Police said Sharma and Jeetu were arrested from Sector 62 in Noida following a tip-off.

Goel had tied up with Vie Technology for providing the cellphones. The accused, through their company, allegedly cheated Goel of Rs 3.47 crore, a sum that was paid towards the delivery of cellphones. Goel alleges the duo did not deliver cellphones, as promised.

A case of fraud, that was filed against the duo by Goel, was being investigated by the Sector 49 police. Goel, who is out on bail from the Dasna jail after six months of imprisonment, had filed a complaint against them for cheating him.

“After I got bail in September, I met Love Kumar, who is the senior superintendent of police in Gautam Budh Nagar. I told him that I was committed to delivering the phones to distributors, but the people who took money from me for providing the cellphones cheated me. Kumar assured help and I filed a complaint at Sector 49 police station on November 23,” Mohit Goel told Hindustan Times.

Goel, 30, had planned to introduce a cellphone for as little as Rs 251 against ‘subsidy on advertisement’. Goel said the idea was to earn profits from advertisements pushed through various apps on the phone.

“I was keen in this business and had planned well. After working for months, I fixed a deal with the Delhi-based company Vie Technology Private Limited. I met Jeetu, who assured me that they would be able to provide the cellphones from China. He also introduced me to Vikas Sharma, the managing director of the company. The two were ready to provide me one phone for Rs 1,080. I paid them Rs 3.47 crore in December 2015,” Goel said.

On February 17, 2016, Goel, through his firm Ringing Bells, announced the launch of a smartphone for Rs 251. Potential buyers could registered with the website for free and no money was charged from them for placing an order. However, some vendors, mostly based in Delhi-NCR, had paid up to Rs 2 crore in cash.

“I had promised vendors that the phones will be delivered by May 2016. But, the two men from Vie Technology told me they cannot deliver the phones in February because markets in China were closed for the month. In March again they said the ship carrying the consignment capsized,” Goel said.

In May 2016, some vendors who had paid in advance met Goel, police said, adding that under pressure Goel signed a deal with another company to supply the cellphones.

“The Delhi based company provided him around 50 lakh phones in June 2016. Goel distributed these phones to as many vendors as he could, and thereafter stopped attending calls from others. Goel says he paid this new company Rs 13 crore,” Sector 49 SHO Vinay Kumar Singh said.

Singh said that since many people could not get their money back, they filed a case against Goel in February 2017, following which he was arrested.