The Allahabad High Court has granted interim protection from arrest to celebrity hairstylist Jawed Habib and his son Anosh Habib in connection with an alleged multi-crore investment fraud case. The order, issued by a division bench comprising Justice Siddharth Verma and Justice Achal Sachdeva, states that this protection will remain in effect until the police complete their investigation and file a chargesheet in the matter.
The case stems from a First Information Report (FIR) registered at Raeesatti Police Station in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, where the complainants accused the father-son duo of organizing a seminar at Royal Palace, Sambhal, in September 2023. According to the complaint, participants at the seminar were persuaded to invest sums ranging from ₹2 lakh to ₹20 lakh, lured by promises of high financial returns.
However, as per the allegations, even after nearly two years, investors have not received either the assured profits or their original investments. The police have so far registered 32 separate cases linked to the alleged fraudulent scheme.
In response to these accusations, Jawed Habib and his son filed eight petitions before the Allahabad High Court, seeking both protection from arrest and the quashing of the FIRs lodged against them. The High Court, after reviewing the petitions and case documents, issued an interim stay order preventing their arrest until the investigation reaches its next stage — the filing of the chargesheet.
The court clarified that this order is temporary and subject to change based on the outcome of the investigation. It emphasized that the relief granted does not amount to exoneration but merely ensures that the accused are not detained while the inquiry continues.
Given Jawed Habib’s prominent public profile in the beauty and salon industry, the case has drawn widespread attention. The High Court’s interim order provides him and his son with limited legal reprieve while the police continue to probe the allegations of financial misappropriation and investor deceit. The final course of action will depend on the findings of the investigation and subsequent judicial proceedings once the chargesheet is filed.
