Berhampur: Another ponzi firm under Baidyanathpur police limits here has allegedly defrauded many tribals in Chikiti and Patrapur blocks by over Rs 10 crore by promising them attractive returns, a report said Tuesday.
A delegation of depositors led by Abhi Sabar, Chandramani Sabar, Satya Sabar, Kanchan Sabar and Jaydeep Sabar lodged a complaint at Baidyanathpur police station Tuesday and narrated their ordeal to Berhampur SDPO Bishnu Prasad Pati.
Lawyer Dayanidhi Panigrahi, who was accompanying the tribals urged Pati to take measures to recover the money taken by the ponzi firm.
The depositors alleged that Binodini Private Ltd opened its office at Ayodhya Nagar Lane I and lured the tribals through their agents to invest money in schemes that promised attractive dividends. The firm officials are now at large and have closed their office since 2017, they alleged.
An agent of the firm, Debaraj Moharana, was collecting money for the firm from villagers in Surada, Golani and Bileichhai under Jarada police limits, they said. He is reported to have promised 300 per cent return on the investments in three years. Consequently, the people deposited their money in the firm.
When contacted, the SDPO said similar complaints of frauds have been received against the firm from neighbouring states. The accused directors are Dhiren Swain, his wife Sangeeta Swain, brother Hiten Swain and brother-in-law Binod Swain.
Dhiren and his brother Hiten are currently lodged in Korba jail after their arrest in Noida and Raipur respectively. A police team will bring the two siblings and produce them in Odisha Protection of Interest of Depositors (OPID) court where they will undergo trial, he added.