Chit Fund Scam In Odisha: 799 Persons Arrested So Far

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Saturday directed the police to keep a strict vigil on the illegal non-banking financial entities that are cheating people by luring them under various false promises of higher returns.

It was discussed at the State Level Coordination Committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi here.

Available data show Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of the state has filed a total number of 597 cases up to March 2016. A total number of 799 people have been arrested and forwarded to courts. Charge sheets have been submitted against 384 major cases.

The EOW has moved various designated courts for the confiscation of the properties of 21 companies. So far the designated courts have awarded orders for confiscation of the properties of 8 companies. The ventures are Rose Valley Group of Companies, Golden Land Developer Companies, Green Ray International  Ltd., Astha Group of Companies, Safex Group of Companies, Nabajyoti reality India Ltd., Sastra Enterprises Pvt Ltd., and Sai Pragati Assets & Properties Pvt Ltd.

SEBI has also passed orders against 21 companies involved in illegal fund mobilisation in the State of Odisha.

Taking stock of the situation, Chief Secretary directed the Police to keep strict vigil over activities of any such company in each police station area.

Padhi said that police should take proactive action in this matter without waiting for lodging of any complaint or FIR by anybody.

Development Commissioner R. Balakrishnan said that all types of surrogate advertisements made by these companies should be restricted and the authorities giving permission for advertisement boards should make a preliminary screening of the message being projected.

Director of Institutional Finance Dr Tapan Kumar Pradhan present in the meeting said that one model draft format had been sent to Economic Offence Wing (EOW)  for moderation. I.G. EOW Arun Bothra participating in the discussion presented the model MIS format for Police Stations, which was approved in the meeting.

It was also decided that intensive awareness campaign would be taken up in rural and urban areas to make people aware of the false promises and disguised activities of such companies.

 The information and intelligence received from various quarters regarding cheating activities of some companies and multi-state cooperative societies were discussed in the meeting.

Chief Secretary directed to trace the root of such companies through inter-state coordination.

The Registrar of Companies present at the meeting was asked to track the financial activities of the companies registered under financial code and inform Reserve Bank of India about it. The formulation of one model SOP for investigation of cases under OPID Act was discussed at the meeting.