MEERUT, Oct. 25 -- Bollywood actors Shreyas Talpade and Alok Nath have been named among 22 accused in a major fraud case registered in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh, police said. The accused allegedly defrauded over 500 investors of nearly Rs.5 crore by luring them into investing in a fake cooperative society that promised to double their money within five years. It is alleged that the two actors were brand ambassadors of the cooperative society, which helped lend credibility to the scheme. Baghpat Kotwali station house officer DK Tyagi confirmed that an FIR had been registered on October 20 against all 22 accused under sections 318(4) (cheating) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Section 21 of the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act. "We are examining the company's digital transactions, bank accounts, and mobile applications. If required, assistance from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) will be sought," he said. According to the complainant, Babli, a local resident, Loni Urban Multi-State Credit and Thrift Cooperative Society Limited was allegedly used as a front to collect funds from rural investors across western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Haryana. The company's agents were active in districts including Baghpat, Shamli and Meerut, where they collected large sums from villagers under various investment schemes. The complainant alleged that investors were assured their deposits were secure and that the company was registered with the Union ministry of agriculture and cooperation. Tempted by the promise of doubling their returns within five years, many villagers invested their life savings. Babli claimed that she herself invested Rs.1.9 lakh in a fixed deposit at the firm's Samalkha branch in Haryana. The alleged fraud came to light after the company suddenly halted all financial transactions on November 27, 2024 and shut down its software systems. When investors tried contacting company representatives, their calls went unanswered. Agents later revealed that the firm had appointed more than 25 representatives in the region, who had collected around Rs.5 crore from over 500 individuals. In a letter submitted to Baghpat district magistrate Asmita Lal, the victims listed the names, addresses and contact details of the 22 accused, including directors and executives from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Mumbai. The complaint also claimed that the company collected money through multiple schemes such as FD, RD, Sukanya Yojana, Ayushman Plan, savings accounts and ATM-linked policies....