Meerut: A bald man and his two associates, claiming to offer miraculous hair growth oil, was arrested after multiple complaints surfaced regarding allergic reactions from their product, police said on Thursday.

The incident took a dramatic turn when one of the victims filed a complaint, leading the police to uncover a large-scale scam, they said.

Superintendent of Police (City) Ayush Vikram Singh said Shadab from Lisari Gate area lodged a complaint against some people, who were selling hair growth oil in Prahlad Nagar.

In his complaint he alleged that the oil caused severe itching and an allergic reaction on his scalp, the officer said.

An investigation was launched that led to the arrest of three people — Imran, Salman, and Sameer. Legal proceedings under relevant sections are underway, he said.

According to police, the trio had set up a camp in the Lisari Gate-Samar Colony area a few days back claiming they could regrow hair on bald heads.

The camp attracted a massive crowd, causing traffic jams in nearby streets, they said.

Many customers experienced adverse effects, including allergies, prompting some of them, like Shadab, to report the matter to authorities, the police said.

During interrogation the accused admitted to have conducted similar fraudulent camps in several cities, Singh said.

“They charged an entry fee of Rs 20 and Rs 300 for the oil,” he added.

Investigations also revealed that the group had swindled people across Meerut, Delhi, Haryana, and Uttarakhand, amassing lakhs of rupees in the process, the officer said.

Further action in the matter is underway and victims should come forward to aid the investigation, Singh said.