Three still at large
In yet another development in the chit fund scam, the Sahadevkhunta police on Wednesday arrested two directors of a ponzi firm on the charges of swindling people of crores of rupees.
Identified as Pravash Jena (42) of Nischintapur, Singla and Ramesh Patra (32) of Balisahi of Nilgiri, the two were working for Wiseman Resources India limited, headquartered at Bhubaneswar with a branch office at Sahadevkhunta.
When caught Jena was working as a manager of a security agency and Patra as a branch manager of a private insurance company in Baripada, police said.
Firm MD Anil Patra was earlier arrested and five directors were on the run. Three are still absconding, the police added.
The company was offering a dividend of Rs 2,900 per month against each fixed deposit of Rs 1 lakh. The police had registered a cheating case against the ponzi firm on the basis of a complaint lodged by one Rabinarayan Sahu, a depositor of the firm. Subsequently, five other investors too had lodged complaints against the company.
Sahu had informed the police that he had invested Rs 2 lakh in the company. He received Rs 5,800 every month for nine months but subsequently he was denied return.
When he made an inquiry, he found that the company’s branch office in Baleswar was closed. “The company duped investors crores of rupees offering attractive schemes and packages. It collected about Rs 40 lakh through recurring deposit schemes. Three directors are still absconding,” said Sahadevkhunta police station IIC Paresh Rout.