Family members of chess players outside the office of the economic offences wing in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, June 11: Reposing faith in a woman grandmaster’s father cost many chess players their hard-earned money and career.

Puspalata Mohanty, mother of budding chess player Adyasha Pattnaik, said she had invested Rs 5 lakh with Star Consultancy Services, a dubious deposit collection company, after Ashok Rout, the father of international chess player Padmini Rout, lured her to deposit the money with the company.

“My husband, who works with a nationalised bank, was not in favour of the investment. But I was insistent as my daughter was getting sponsorship from the company. But the company later shut down without any notice and I did not get my money back. After this, my daughter had to give up her chess career as we couldn’t afford it anymore. But she was doing really well,” said Mohanty.

Adyasha was a state champion once in Under-7, twice in Under-9 and again once in Under-11 categories.

The company had signed a three-year pact with Padmini to bear the cost of her coaching and participation in open international tournaments. Ashok Rout, one of the directors of the company, was also a chemistry lecturer.

The company had promised to provide them Rs 5,000 as interest every month on a deposit of Rs 1 lakh and sponsor the foreign tours of these players. The investors got their interests for the first few months, but later they did not get their money.

Chess player brothers Rakesh Nayak and Rajesh Nayak are also bearing the brunt of the same mistake. Both had to give up their careers after their parents lost a hefty amount of Rs 8.45 lakh to this fraud company. Their mother Sushama Nayak said that she had gathered this amount taking loans from her near and dear ones after Rout lured her to invest in the company for a bright future of her wards.

“My younger son Rakesh is going to take admission in Plus II. But, I do not have enough money for his admission. My other son Rajesh is studying engineering, but I am unable to bear his education expenses. Their chess careers have been ruined too,” said the duo’s mother.

Both these boys had participated in several state, national and international level championships. As the company did not pay them the money, Rakesh could not participate in a chess tournament held in Brazil.

Similarly, the first woman grandmaster of Odisha Kiran Manisha Mohanty’s mother Manjubala Mohanty had invested Rs 25 lakh with the company after being lured by Rout.

“When my daughter was going to take part at an event in Philippines, the company did not sponsor her. Apart from Rout, we also approached the managing director of the company. But, none of them helped us,” said the mother.

The family members of these chess players today lodged complaints with the economic offences wing of crime branch seeking action against the managing director of Star Consultancy Services, Tribeni Mohanty, who had also produced the movie Tu Tha Mu Jauchhi Rushi.

Tribeni was arrested twice on December 27 in 2010 and on April 26 in 2011 by Saheed Nagar police following complaints by several investors, who had been cheated by the company. There are several cases pending against the company as it had allegedly cheated people of more than Rs 500 crore in various projects.

Rout, however, said that he was unaware of the fraudulent activities of the company.

“I am also a victim of the fraud company,” he said.

Deputy inspector general of police Rajesh Kumar said that he had received the complaints today.

“We are verifying the allegations,” he said.