Bhubaneswar, June 17: Fifteen investors from Gujarat and Maharashtra, allegedly duped by the Oscar Group of Companies, today accused several Odia actors, including matinee idol Uttam Mohanty and comedian Tatwa Prakash Satpathy aka Pappu Pom Pom, of persuading them to invest in Ponzi firms through stage shows.

The investors today met crime branch officials in the city and alleged that the film stars had influenced them by describing Ponzi firm chairman Pravash Chandra Rout "as a good person".

They alleged that cine stars, including Uttam Mohanty, Rajya Sabha member Anubhav Mohanty and Pappu Pom Pom, had been to Surat to attend one of the annual functions of the company.

"They have told the audience that the Oscar Company was same as government-run ones - which influenced us to invest in it. The company also promised us double our investment in two years and make it triple in six years," said Prabhati Swain, who had invested Rs 2 lakh by selling a patch of land. The state crime branch officials arrested Rout from south Delhi on June 9.

They also accused BJD Rajya Sabha MP Anubhav Mohanty of promoting the Ponzi firm through the script of one of the four films it had produced. In one of the scenes of the film, Mohanty is seen persuading a reluctant investor of investing in Oscar Finance. The film shows another actor expressing happiness when his son gets employed in Oscar Finance.

Investigation so far has revealed the group of having 49 and 58 branch offices in Odisha and Gujarat, respectively. The company had also opened six branches in Maharashtra.

The company collected investments to the tune of Rs 230 crore between 2010 and 2014 and had assured investors of high returns. Sources said that as many as three cases were registered against the Ponzi firm in Gujarat.

Actor Uttam Mohanty, however, denied promoting the Ponzi firm and said he was ready to face any action if the allegations were proved true. "There should a detailed inquiry as the company has cheated thousands of gullible investors. I have visited Surat thrice between 2008 and 2010, but never persuaded any investors. I am ready to face any probe by the investigating agency," said Mohanty.

Pappu Pom Pom said the role of actors was only to promote their films and not endorsement of the Oscar Company. "As actors, we always want our films to become successful, and that is the reason we often take part in its promotions. But, I have never endorsed the company and lured investors to invest in it," he said. Yesterday, a crime branch team went to Gujarat for further investigations into the case.

In another development, several organisations staged demonstrations in various districts across the state demanding action against BJD Lok Sabha MP Siddhant Mahapatra and Rajya Sabha MP Anubhav Mohanty and Pappu Pom Pom, who featured in the films produced by the Oscar Group.