File picture of investors protesting against fake deposit collection companies in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, March 11: Hundreds of depositors from Kandhamal and Ganjam districts today lodged a complaint with the Economic Offence Wing of the state Crime Branch alleging fraud to the tune of Rs 15 crore by Green India Multi State Members Credit Co-operative Society Limited, a money deposit collection company.

The depositors lodged the complaint against the company’s managing director Pradeep Singh, chief executive officer Sunil Kumar Panda and office bearers D. Ramamurti Patra, Krushna Chandra Behera, Bhagaban Panigrahi, Binod Maharana, Subasini Lenka, Bipin Bihari Lenka and Santosh Kumar Pattnaik.

The depositors alleged that the company had collected the money promising double the amount in three years. “The company had collected money through four schemes — daily scheme, recurring deposit, fixed deposit and monthly interest. I had invested Rs 4 lakh under fixed deposit scheme in 2009, but the company closed its office 18 months ago,” said Bhagaban Panigrahi, an investor from Berhampur.

While the company had its head office at Dharmanagar in Berhampur, it had two other branches at Raikia and Balliguda in Kandhamal district.

“We have no idea how to get back our deposit. Our request to the officials of the company to get back our money went in vain. The company officials are nowhere to be found,” said another investor, Balabhadra Debata.

“A fraud case against the company has already been lodged with Berhampur town police station. We will examine the complaint,” said police superintendent, Economic Offence Wing, R.K. Pattnaik.