Chess stars of international repute like Debashis Das and Kiran Manisha Mohanty have also been cheated by the fraudulent non-banking financial institutions operating in the State.
Das, an International Masters (IM) norm-holder chess player, had deposited his prize money of Rs 5 lakh in his name and Rs 2 lakh in his mother’s name in a chit fund firm, Star Yogic Resorts and leisure ltd (SYRl), in 2010. The firm had promised to pay Rs 5,000 as monthly interest on a deposit of Rs 1 lakh. Even the company had given a cheque in Das’ name and he was told that he could withdraw his money at any point of time, but later the cheque was bounced.
Kiran Manisha Mohanty Mohanty, Women Grand Master (WGM) norm-holder, had also deposited Rs 25 lakh of her prize money in her name and her mother’s name in the Star Concrete Private ltd Company to get good interest as promised. Similarly, chess coach Rajendra Sahu, who had deposited Rs 5 lakh in the company, was also cheated by the chit fund firms.
The investors of SYRl had lodged complaint against the company at the Saheed Nagar police station. The police had arrested SYRl CMD Triveni Mohanty, but later he was granted bail by court.
Meanwhile, the Khurda Town police on Saturday took Artha Tatwa (AT) Group CMD Pradip Sethy, who was sent to Jharpada jail, in remand in connection with the case against him.
The company has cheated the investors of around Rs 10 crore through its Khurda branch office alone, the police said. “After the police interrogation, the truth will come out,” said Khurda SP Dayanidhi Gochhayat.
In a recent development, the Commissionerate Police had summoned 22 persons of the AT Group to come to the Kharavel Nagar police station on Tuesday for interrogation.
Protests against the chit fund companies are still continuing in the State. On Saturday, the CPI(M) demanded a CBI inquiry into the scams. Supporters and workers of the party came in a procession from Master Canteen to the lower PMG and staged a demonstration in front of the State Assembly demanding that the State Government take stringent action against the fraudulent companies.