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Food order led to arrest of Ravindra Nath Soni, key accused in Dubai BlueChip scam

Ravindra Nath Soni, prime suspect in a major UAE investment fraud, was arrested in Dehradun after an 18-month manhunt

Published on: Dec 4, 2025, 10:15:14 IST
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Ravindra Nath Soni, the prime accused in one of the UAE’s biggest investment frauds, was arrested on Sunday afternoon in Dehradun after an 18-month manhunt. It was a food delivery order that led to his arrest.

Indian-origin Ravindra Nath Soni is accused of masterminding one of the biggest scams in the UAE. (Pexel)
Indian-origin Ravindra Nath Soni is accused of masterminding one of the biggest scams in the UAE. (Pexel)

Who is Ravindra Nath Soni?

Ravindra Nath Soni, 44, is the owner of the Dubai-based BlueChip Group and the prime accused in a major investment scam, as per a Khaleej Times report. He allegedly defrauded numerous investors by promising unusually high monthly returns through his company.

BlueChip, which operated out of the Al Jawhara Building in Bur Dubai, advertised “guaranteed” returns of 3 per cent per month — or 36 per cent annually — on a minimum investment of USD 10,000 locked in for 18 months.

(Also read: Who is Indian-origin owner Ravindra Nath Soni? Key accused of Dubai BlueChip Group scam arrested by Kanpur Police)

The scheme collapsed in March 2024 when payments suddenly stopped, leaving hundreds of UAE residents, many of them Indian expats, facing losses estimated to exceed USD100 million (Dh367 million).

As cheques began bouncing, the BlueChip Group office was abandoned overnight and Soni himself vanished along with senior staffers.

The hunt for Ravindra Nath Soni

Soni’s arrest came after a fraud complaint filed against him by Delhi resident Abdul Kareem on January 5. Kareem alleged that Soni convinced him and his son Talha, who works in Dubai, to invest Dh1.6 million ( 4 crore approximately). He had promised to double the money in a year.

On November 30, Soni was taken into custody by Kanpur Police in Dehradun. It was a food delivery order that led to his arrest.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Law & Order, Kanpur Nagar, Anjali Vishwakarma, told Khaleej Times that an order was placed from the hideout where Soni had been staying, This helped Vishwakarma’s team trace his location.

“He was caught through a food-delivery order. I don’t know what he ordered; we were in a hurry to grab him,” she said. “This is a big catch.”

(Also read: Dubai firm vanishes overnight without a trace, Indian investors lose millions: ‘Like they never existed’)

  • Sanya Jain
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Sanya Jain

    Sanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience - from viral videos to human interest copies that spark conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and looking for newsworthy angles to elevate viral posts into meaningful narratives. She was the first one, for example, to cover Narayana Murthy’s remark on 70-hour work weeks that sparked a national conversation. She is equally at ease writing about business leaders as about the common man, about issues of national importance and memes that amuse social media. Sanya enjoys speaking with content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs to transform everyday moments into engaging, slice-of-life stories that resonate with readers. When she is not working, Sanya can be found curled up with a good book. Born and raised in Lucknow, she has spent the last several years in Delhi. She is deeply interested in animal welfare and now spends a lot of her time running after her destructive orange cat.Read More

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