A court in Andhra Pradesh handed down ten-year prison sentences to three directors of QNet's Indian operations, marking a rare victory in the long fight against one of India's most persistent fraud schemes.
Augustine Joseph, R Kamakshi Ranganathan, and Pushpam Appala Naidu each received 100,000 INR fines alongside their sentences for their roles running M/S Quest Net Enterprises India Pvt Ltd in Chennai. The convictions, reported by The Times of India on March 31st, charged them with cheating, criminal conspiracy, and violations of the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes Act. Criminal cases against the three had been registered back in 2008, but charges didn't come until 2016.
QNet launched as QuestNet in 1998 and metastasized across India as a multilevel marketing pyramid scheme. Malaysian national Vijay Eswaran runs the operation from Malaysia, where he remains beyond India's reach.
The company's criminal history runs deep. In 2013, authorities froze QNet-linked bank accounts. A year later, regulators barred Vihaan Direct Selling Ltd.—QNet's rebranded Indian front—from operating. But QNet simply kept going. In 2016, Delhi authorities registered their first criminal complaint. Michael Ferreira, the majority shareholder of Vihaan Direct Selling India, landed in prison that same year.
The damage to victims piled up. In 2018, seventy victims protested government inaction in Bengaluru. The following year, a QNet victim who lost $28,900 took his own life. A 2019 investigation into commissions owed to 200,000 QNet promoters exposed government corruption and what authorities called a national security threat. Over 500 people, including Indian celebrities, were summoned to explain their QNet endorsements.
Authorities moved against the company's operations in 2019, with the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs shutting down Vihaan Direct Selling India. Police arrested three QNet promoters in Odisha. But the scheme's roots went too deep. Authorities froze $11 million tied to QNet money laundering in January 2023. Three months later, another $16 million was frozen in a Hyderabad case.
More arrests followed. Hyderabad police arrested three QNet executives in May 2023. Jaipur authorities nabbed eighteen scammers in October 2023. Hyderabad police arrested thirty-two more promoters in March 2026. A new criminal case opened in Indore in September 2024. In December 2024, India's Central Consumer Protection Authority issued a formal QNet fraud warning.
None of it stopped the operation. As of February 2026, QNet's website drew roughly 153,000 monthly visits. India accounted for 21 percent of that traffic, followed by Thailand at 14 percent and the US at 5 percent. The Manipur QNet Victim's Welfare Association continues calling for action.
Vijay Eswaran remains wanted by Indian authorities. But from Malaysia, he keeps the scheme running—a testament to India's struggle against international fraud networks that routinely outpace government enforcement.
🤖 Quick Answer
What prison sentences did QNet directors receive in India?A court in Andhra Pradesh sentenced three directors of QNet's Indian operations—Augustine Joseph, R Kamakshi Ranganathan, and Pushpam Appala Naidu—to ten years in prison each. They also received fines of 100,000 INR for charges including cheating, criminal conspiracy, and violations of the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes Act.
What criminal charges were filed against the QNet directors?
The three directors were charged with cheating, criminal conspiracy, and violations of India's Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes Act. Criminal cases were originally registered in 2008, though formal charges were not filed until 2016. Convictions were reported by The Times of India on March 31st.
What is QNet and how did it operate in India?
QNet
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Vijay Eswaran