'No drama, not a flight risk': BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover after being stopped at Delhi airport

Indian entrepreneur Ashneer Grover, the former managing director of BharatPe, and his wife Madhuri Jain were stopped at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Thursday night (Nov 17) by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police, media reports said. According to a report by Livemint on Friday, Grover and Jain were travelling to New York for vacation and were stopped by the EOW amid an ongoing investigation against them for alleged fraud at BharatPe, a payments startup co-founded by Grover.

Sindhu Pillai, joint commissioner of the EOW, said Grover and Jain were detained before the security check and were asked to return to their residence in Delhi and join the investigation at the EOW office at Mandir Marg next week.

Earlier this week, a lookout circular (LoC) was issued against the two. Pillai said LoC was issued only to detain the couple from travelling overseas, adding they were not arrested.

What is the case against Ashneer Grover?

On May 11, the EOW registered a case against Grover, Jain and other family members for using company funds inappropriately, based on forged documents.

Speaking to the news agency ANI, a Delhi police official said a complaint was filed by Resilient Innovations Pvt Ltd (BharatPe) in the EOW,alleging that Grover, Jain and other employees "were involved in criminal misappropriation of the company's funds on the basis of forged/fabricated documents and resultant payments to non-existent firms/vendors and HR consultancy firms without rendering any services."

The complainant alleged that criminal acts committed by Grover, his wife and other employees caused a loss of around $9.7 million to the company.

'Will cooperate with authorities': Grover

Sharing a post on X on Friday, Grover said he did not receive any communication or summons from the EOW since the First Information Report (FIR) in May till Friday morning.

"I found it strange as have travelled 4 times internationally since FIR filed in May - never been a problem and I had not even been summoned once," Grover said.

"Flight left in meantime anyways - EOW folks directed Immigration to let us out so that we can return home," he added.

Grover also said he would as always cooperate with authorities.

(With inputs from agencies)