Plea before Kerala High Court for CBI probe into ₹700 crore fake US Defence project investment scam

The Kerala High Court today sought a status report from the State police on a plea seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged ₹700 crore investment scam linked to a fake US Defence project [A Harikrishan v Union of India & ors].The matter involves allegations that investors across India were induced to invest crores of rupees by a company named VPVV Techno Construction, which claimed that it had secured a lucrative ₹83,000 crore defence contract with the US government.VPVV alleged that it secured the deal based on a secretive "Indo-US-Pacific Peace Treaty." However, it later emerged that no such treaty existed. By then, investors across the country had invested around ₹700 crores with VPVV on promises of high financial returns.A plea has now been filed before the High Court for a CBI probe into the multi-State investment scam. Justice G Girish has issued notice in the case and directed the public prosecutor to place on record a status report regarding the investigation so far in the case.The matter has been posted for further consideration on August 18, 2026..The plea before the Court has been filed by A Harikrishan, a retired executive engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD), who claims to be one of the victims of the alleged scam.The petitioner has sought to transfer the investigation from the Medical College Police Station, Thiruvananthapuram to the CBI, stating that the fraud extends across several States and has international ramifications.According to the petition, representatives of VPVV Techno Construction Pvt Ltd approached the petitioner with claims that the company had secured defence infrastructure contracts worth ₹5,000 crore from the United States of America's (US) military under an alleged Indo-US-Pacific Peace Treaty'.The petitioner said that he was persuaded to invest ₹1 crore after being promise lucrative subcontracts, job opportunities in the US and visas for his family members.However, the promised contracts never materialised, and it was later discovered by the petitioner that the treaty and promotional documents relied upon by the company did not exist."That there after the petitioner came to know that the company officials collected around 700 crores of rupees from various persons by practicing a similar kind of business offer even showing the emblem and insignia of the Government of India and the United states of America," the plea states further.He has also highlighted that the fraud was perpetrated across multiple States, through conclaves, investment programs and promotional events projected as high-profile international projects. Some of the events were even attended by serving or retired naval personnel, defence officials and other dignitaries..The petitioner adds that the police investigation in the matter so far has been confined primarily to the offence of cheating, despite allegations involving forged documents, misuse of the national emblem and a larger conspiracy spanning multiple States.It adds that such a police investigation is not enough. The plea further points out that other States have also registered FIRs in connection with the same case. In view of this, the petitioner ha called for a transfer of the probe to the CBI. .Advocates CS Ajith Prakash and Sahala Fathima appeared for the petitioner.