The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), probing the multi-crore chit fund scam, on Friday conducted a raid at the regional office of the Saradha Group of Companies, a chit fund company, in Puri district.
The development came almost a month after the Central investigating agency carrying out searches in 19 locations in West Bengal and Odisha in connection with the chit fund scam. According to sources, a seven-member team of the CBI searched the office in Puri and seized some incriminating documents.
On October 1, the agency had made searches in residences of a managing director and directors of the chit fund company having operations in the two States.
The firm has allegedly duped lakhs of gullible investors of at least Rs2,500 crore on the pretext of giving good returns on their investments, sources said.
The company had opened a regional office at the Grand Road in Puri in January 2011. As many as 12 subsidiary companies like Saradha Green, Agro, Real Estate, Construction and Tour and Travels, were operating under the name.
There were around 15 branches of the Saradha Group in Puri district.
The sources said the group’s Puri office network was spread in Nimapara, Brahmagiri and Sakhigopal and around 2,000 agents of the group had collected nearly Rs15 crore from 6,000 people in the area. The company had floated three money gain schemes in the district and promised hefty returns to investors.
