Mumbai police have lodged an FIR against three people related to an advertising agency on charges of forging signatures of celebrities and committing a Rs 1.40 crore fraud.

The trio have links with Hari Media Network Pvt Ltd in Mumbai and Haryana. They allegedly forged actress Athiya Shetty’s signature and created a fake email account of actor Arshad Warsi to execute fraudulent activities.

The FIR was lodged with Amboli Police Station in Mumbai.

Police named Rishbh Sureka (former senior manager), Yash Nagarkoti (CEO of Hooray Movies), and Ashay Shastri in the FIR.

Rishbh Sureka allegedly approached Athiya Shetty’s talent agency, Matrix Entertainment, in 2024 via the company’s email ID to lock a deal for a brand project worth Rs 40 Lakh, as per the FIR.

Through a forged signature of Athiya, Sureka collected Rs 15 lakh on her behalf, as per reports.

The funds were misused by Sureka for personal use. To get more money, Sureka also created a fake Zomato invoice under the names of Shetty and cricketer KL Rahul, reported Times of India.

Officials have clarified that Athiya Shetty had no role in the transaction and was completely unaware of the forged agreement and financial dealings carried out in her name. Surekha also allegedly created a fake email ID in actor Arshad Warsi’s name to commit the crime.

Police said Sureka along with Yash Nagarkoti and Ashay Shastri managed to get Rs 52 lakh transferred to Sureka’s personal account from well-known brands, including Havells, Mahindra Lifespaces, Realme, and Birla Estates by forging signatures and presenting fake documents.