Ranchi: Around 200 entrepreneurs in the capital have been swindled out of more than Rs 1 crore by a chit fund operator who gained their trust over a decade.
Some of the victims woke up to the con after Vijay Kumar, 50, a resident of Burdwan Compound, recently disappeared with their principal and interest amounts. Complaints were lodged at Lalpur thana on Wednesday.
Babla Soni, a civil contractor and resident of Plaza Chowk who has lost Rs 3 lakh, said Vijay ran an electronics store, Geetanjali Traders, at Kishoreganj with money borrowed from them and none doubted him because they had received handsome returns in the past from his chit fund schemes.
"One of my savings matured on Tuesday and I went to Vijay's shop to collect the money. The shutters were down and someone told me he had already vacated the store. I rushed an aide to his home. He had left the apartment too along with all his belongings. I decided to inform police," said Soni.
Proprietor of Sona Jewellers Sonu Kumar said Vijay won his trust by returning his matured savings three times.
"I knew Vijay for five years. He ran a self-help finance committee kind of thing. I got back Rs 1 lakh three times. I know at least 20 people who invested anything between Rs 5,000 and Rs 55,000 for 20 months. This time, my stake was high. I was supposed to get back Rs 11 lakh," the jeweller said.
Rajeev Kumar, a polio-stricken man who runs a travel agency in Chutia, has claimed a blow of Rs 6 lakh.
"Vijay said he wanted to open a wristwatch showroom on Kanke Road and sought my help. He was hardworking. I trusted him enough to borrow Rs 4 lakh from two banks for his business. Apart from this amount, he also kept my Rs 2 lakh, which was the maturity amount of my monthly contribution to his self-help finance committee of 200 entrepreneurs," Kumar said.
Like the trio, another 50 entrepreneurs turned up at Lalpur police station with their grievances.
Mohammed Parwez, owner of an electronics store at Hindpiri, said he lost Rs 8.50 lakh. "I paid him Rs 7 lakh for his watch showroom and the rest I invested in his chit fund scheme," Parwez said.
Lalpur thana OC Ramod Kumar Singh said he had received the complaints, but an FIR was yet to be lodged.
"The fraud was actually committed at Kishoreganj, which is under Kotwali thana. There is jurisdiction issue. Also, the number of purported victims is huge. Hence, the delay. An FIR will be filed soon so that investigations can begin," the officer added.
