A financial company has duped crores of rupees from the locals here and fled after closing down its office. With little option left, the victim depositors on Friday met the District Collector and sought his help to get back their money.
According to the depositors, Bhubaneswar-based DP Investment Services Private limited, two years ago, had opened a branch office at Talasanga area under Patkura police limits. Soon, the company targeted the gullible locals and collected huge deposits from them promising to provide 3 per cent on a fixed deposit of Rs 1 lakh as interest per month, apart from Rs 40,000 as interest per annum. Even, the Branch Manager and the agents of the firm lured the locals by assuring insurance benefit.
Hundreds from Parakula, Talasanga and adjoining villages deposited their hard earned money under several plans. In the beginning, officials managed to provide assured benefits to boost depositors’ confidence, but this continued for a few months only.
All of a sudden, the firm pulled its shutter and fled from the locality leaving the depositors dazed. Believing it to be a fraud, the depositors met the District Collector and brought to his notice the entire episode. When contacted, District Collector Niranjan Nayak stated that he had received the complaints and forwarded them to the SP to take necessary action. He added that he would bring the issue to the notice of the DG of Crime Branch for a probe into the incident.