Bhubaneswar: The state crime branch started collecting intelligence inputs after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had alerted them about several money deposit collection companies still collecting investments from gullible investors.
The crime branch has also advised the duped investors to inform about such fraud Ponzi firms through toll-free number (18003457103), launched by the economic offences wing in January 2015.
Sources said the RBI recently informed the crime branch police that some of the leading and blacklisted Ponzi firms such as Microfinance Credit Cooperative Society, Samrudha Jivan Multi-state Multi-purpose Cooperative Society, PICL Multi-state Credit Cooperative Society and Sahara Credit Cooperative Society were still collecting money from gullible investors in the promise of high rate of interest.
Sources said the crime branch was still receiving complaints related to Ponzi firm activities in various parts the state. "We have received more than 5,000 complaints through the toll-free number. We have been advising them to lodge formal police complaints," said a police official.
The activity of the Ponzi firms has come to a halt after the CBI had taken over the investigation against 44 major Ponzi firms operating in the state in May 2014 after a direction of the Supreme Court. In course of investigation, the central agency arrested office-bearers of several major Ponzi firms, including Artha Tatwa, Seashore and Swastik India.
While several Ponzi firm heads lodged in various jails across the state, a number of others have allegedly started running their business. "A number of such fraud companies are also using the names of renowned companies to collect investments," said a police official.
The state finance minister Sashi Bhusan Behera, in a written reply, to the Assembly said the police had registered cases against 266 Ponzi firms between 2010 and March 2018. According to the reply, 622 cases have been registered during the period and the police have arrested 850 accused. Similarly, charge sheets have been submitted in 412 cases during the period.
