The launch of the much-hyped Mango Phone (or mPhone) was stalled after the promoters Anto Augustine (32) and Josekutty Augustine (24) from Kalpetta, Wayanad, were arrested for allegedly duping the Kalamassery branch of Bank of Baroda.
Advertised as a competitor of the iPhone (supposedly an ‘iPhone killer’) and supported by plans for a grand launch, Mango Phone was all set to spearhead the mobile industry in Kerala and hopefully across India. The company was to release phones ranging from Rs 11,999 to Rs 39,999 for a wider reach among the masses.
Police claim that the two had defrauded many banks and were absconding for almost a year. However, it’s suspiciously unclear as to how two fugitives wanted by the police almost launched a venture that gained top publicity. Both were arrested on the day of the launch.
Rojy Augustine, their sibling and the chairman of the company, told The New Indian Express that he suspected foul play especially because the arrests were made on the day of the launch. He also claimed to be unaware of the Bank of Baroda case.
There’s nothing unique about the specs or the pricing of the Mango Phones, unlike the Freedom 251 phones (by Ringing Bells). The products they offer are similar to the Chinese products available in Shenzen. But police now claim that this was also a part of an elaborate fraudulent scheme.
