Freedom 251

The Freedom 251 is a smartphone that was initially offered for sale in India in 2016 at the promotional price of ₹251 (US$3.74). It was sold by Ringing Bells Private Limited and promoted as the world's cheapest smartphone. The announcement attracted widespread public attention and millions of orders, but was soon met with skepticism over its pricing, feasibility, and delivery capacity. Allegations of fraud emerged when it was revealed that early units were rebranded phones from another company, and only a small number of devices were ever delivered. Kirit Somaiya, a Member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party, publicly stated that the phone was "bogus" and described the promotion as a Ponzi scheme. He filed a complaint that led to a first information report (FIR) being registered against Ringing Bells director Mohit Goel and president Ashok Chaddha under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act. However, the Allahabad High Court stayed the FIR on the grounds that it was premature at that stage of investigation.