Former employees of Fertilizer Corporation of India in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, April 18: Almost 40 former employees of Talcher-based Fertilizer Corporation of India (FCI), who are now settled in twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, today submitted a memorandum to the commissioner of police.

They demanded action against a trading-cum-real estate business house for allegedly duping them of more than Rs 3 crore by promising them land in Bhubaneswar.

The complainants said that they neither got the land nor were given back their money.

According to these employees, after the fertilizer unit was closed down in 2002 all its employees availed the voluntary retirement Scheme (VRS). The employees had kept their provident fund, gratuity money and some compensation money that was provided to them at the time of retirement in the post offices.

“We had also invested some amount in a trading cum real estate business house located at Mancheswar Industrial Estate co-owned by another former employee of our company named Biswanth Behera. He told us to invest in his company as he would give us good returns and land in Bhubaneswar,” said Ramesh Chandra Mallick, one of the victims.

The situation turned ugly after their six-year postal savings matured in 2009. “He requested us to invest in his real estate business to get better profit. We invested the whole amount here. While two years have passed, we have neither got any money nor the land we were promised,” said Rabindra Nath Mohapatra, who had invested more than two lakh rupees.

These people alleged that after some days the owners changed their companies and formed some sister concerns owned by their relatives and spouses.

They alleged that Behera induced some of them personally to invest in his business assuring to give monthly profit dividend and housing plots. “After we paid the money Behera gave us security cheques of Karnataka Bank, Bhubaneswar on behalf of the firms and receipts mentioning terms and conditions. But the owners did not make agreements with us for allotting plots assuring them to allot plots when ever demanded else refund of the money,” said Mohapatra.

They even alleged that the security blank cheques presented to them had bounced because of insufficient funds in the account.

These ex-employees today approached the commissioner of police. “We submitted the memorandum to his personal assistant, who told us to complain in the grievance cell and asked us to file complaints in the respective police stations. The officers there told that we should approach the court against the cheque bounce case,” said another employee, adding that the police showed their inability in this case.