Hyderabad: A businessman from Noorkhan Bazar has alleged that he was duped of nearly 1.7 crore by a fake manufacturer of savouries and snack foods, who lured him into a bogus partnership under the pretext of running a namkeen and paan masala business. Acting on his complaint, Hyderabad central crime station (CCS) police have registered a case of cheating and launched a manhunt for the accused.The complainant, Syed Shah Hamed Hussain Sabri, told police that Abhishek Avula introduced himself as a reputed manufacturer of snack foods, claiming his family owned several popular brands. To support his claims, Abhishek reportedly pointed to YouTube videos and a substantial online following to bolster his credibility.Convinced by these representations, Sabri said he entered into a formal business partnership with Abhishek in Sept 2024. Between Oct 22 and Dec 14, 2024, Sabri transferred 1.21 crore from his HDFC Bank account to Abhishek’s firm, and an additional 48.1 lakh to individuals introduced as employees and suppliers.“I was told the funds would be used to purchase machinery, raw materials, and to hire staff. But after the transfers were made, Abhishek became untraceable — he switched off his phone and cut off all contact,” Sabri said in his complaint.Suspecting foul-play, Sabri made inquiries and discovered that Abhishek had allegedly cheated several others in a similar fashion under the guise of running namkeen and masala businesses. Multiple FIRs are reportedly pending against him in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai.Following Sabri’s complaint, CCS police registered a case against Abhishek on July 18 under sections 316(2) (criminal breach of trust) and 318(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.“We have prima facie evidence of Sabri transferring substantial amounts to a company operated by the accused. He is currently absconding, and efforts are on to trace and apprehend him,” a CCS official said.