Today, On 16th September, The Supreme Court granted protection to Bollywood actor Alok Nath from arrest in the alleged multi-state SAGA Group investor fraud case involving cooperative credit schemes.
The Supreme Court provided interim protection from arrest to actor Alok Nath regarding a fraud case associated with an alleged multi-level marketing scheme.
A Bench comprising Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice R. Mahadevan considered the actor’s request for relief.
The FIRs in question date back almost a decade. Alok Nath has sought similar protection from coercive action as was granted earlier to actor Shreyas Talpade in a related case.
During the proceedings, Justice Nagarathna remarked,
“Who is he a film star? And why make senior citizens brand ambassadors, exploiting their old age?”
The Court’s observation highlighted concerns over the alleged misuse of celebrity influence to target elderly investors.
The Bench issued notice on the plea and directed that no coercive steps be taken against Alok Nath until the next hearing.
A total of thirteen individuals, including actors and brand ambassadors Alok Nath and Shreyas Talpade, were named in a complaint filed by Vipul Antil, a 37-year-old resident of Sonipat.
Antil accused the two actors of promoting the Human Welfare Credit Cooperative Society Ltd. as brand ambassadors, which allegedly enticed investors to deposit their funds.
According to ACP Murthal Ajeet Singh, the society is under investigation for functioning as a multi-marketing company.
He stated,
“They were named in the complaint. An FIR has been registered. Now, it will be investigated what was their role.”
The FIR, filed on January 22, includes charges under Sections 316, 318, and 420 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, for offenses such as cheating and criminal breach of trust. The complaint claims that the society, registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, began operations in 2016, offering savings schemes like fixed and recurring deposits.
It presented itself as a reliable financial institution and actively marketed its offerings, attracting thousands of investors.
While initial returns were paid to investors, by 2023, the disbursement of maturity amounts was disrupted. The society reportedly cited “system upgradation” as the reason for the delays. Antil alleged that when investors sought clarification, they were met with false assurances, and ultimately, the society’s owners cut off all communication, leaving investors without their savings.
The Supreme Court has issued a notice seeking responses from the Haryana Police and other relevant parties.
The case will be revisited on the next scheduled date, with Nath continuing to have interim protection from arrest until then.
Earlier, In July 2025, the Supreme Court of India granted interim protection from arrest to Shreyas Talpade, who sought the consolidation of all FIRs and the transfer of investigations to a single jurisdiction, citing potential misuse of legal processes
Case Title: ALOK NATH V STATE OF HARYANA AND ORS W.P.(Crl.) No. 366/2025
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