Bhubaneswar, June 12: Basanti Rout, 55, a woman from Jajpur district, said that before her daughter’s wedding in 2012 the agents of a deposit collection company had approached her and lured her to invest for high returns.
Rout fell into their trap when these agents of dubious sham deposit collection company Future India Industries and Infrastructure Limited assured her she would be able to withdraw money whenever she wanted.
“I deposited Rs 4.6 lakh in the company after they promised me Rs 3,000 interest every month on a deposit of Rs 1 lakh and that the money would double in four years. I had saved this money for my daughter’s wedding. But when I wanted to withdraw the money, the company officials did not co-operate with me. Later, the company closed down,” said Basanti.
A group of people including Rout today lodged a complaint with the economic offences wing of the crime branch and demanded action against the company officials and agents. They alleged that the deposit collection firm had cheated over 5,000 people of more than Rs 20 crore.
Another group of people lodged a complaint with the economic offences wing against a real estate firm Seven Hills after the company did not provide them the assured house or refund their money. Pratima Dash, wife of a bank manager residing in Chandrasekharpur BDA Colony, had deposited security money of Rs 1.3 lakh to buy a house under a housing project of the company in Puri in 2009.
“We contacted the employees of the firm several times, but they did not respond. They are not giving us the house for which we are ready to pay the rest of the money nor are they willing to refund our money. We hope the crime branch will give us justice,” said Dash.
Officials of the economic offences wing said they had received the complaints and were checking into the allegations.
“We will register cases following proper verification and will take steps accordingly,” said a senior police officer.
In another development, at least five cases have been registered against real estate firm Ganapati Eastcon Private Limited with Saheed Nagar police following complaints of cheating.
The complainants alleged that the firm had taken money from its customers to provide land at different places in and around the city, but the builder did not keep his promises nor refund their money.
“When we went to the builder he and his people threatened us following which we lodged a complaint with the police. But police are not arresting him or taking any action against the fraud firm,” alleged complainant Sibabrata Naik, who had paid Rs 5.2 lakh for a plot.
The complainants alleged that the firm had taken over Rs 3 crore from people promising them land, but was yet to keep its promise.
Deposit collection company Artha Tatwa group boss Pradeep Sethi and directors Sree Krishna Padhi and Manoj Pattnaik were today sent to jail after their five-days police remand ended today. Cuttack-Bhubaneswar police had arrested Sethi on May 12 while the directors were arrested on May 30 following complaints of fraud to the tune of over Rs 500 crore.
The cops had brought these three on remand to quiz them in front of some beneficiaries who had been benefited by the firm. Official sources said Sethi revealed having cash worth around Rs 1.5 crore in several bank accounts.
“Also, he admitted to having more than 30 houses and flats at different places in the state. We are verifying these revelations,” said an officer.
Odisha coordinator of sham deposit collection firm Astha International Limited Subhranshu Lenka was also sent to jail after his two-days police remand ended today.
“He did not reveal much but we are checking into whatever information he gave,” said an official of the economic offences wing.
