Jaleswar: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) intensified its investigation into a multi-crore chit fund scam in the state.
After a hiatus of seven years, a six-member CBI team from Bhubaneswar led by DSP Ashok Kumar conducted a raid in Jaleswar of Balasore district Wednesday and arrested two accused from their house in connection with the fraud committed by Green Ray International Ltd (GRIL).
The duo was identified as Mir Jamir and Kalo. They are brothers of Mir Sahiruddin alias Gora, the CMD of GRIL. They were arrested for their alleged involvement in the chit fund case.
Some properties of Sahiruddin were also seized during the raid, CBI official said. The company CMD, Sahiruddin, had been arrested in 2017 by the central probe team in connection with the scam.
It may be noted here that the company was set up in Jaleswar in 1998 and later spread its network in parts of Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Pondicherry, Goa, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The company used to run 105 branches across the country while 57 branches were in Odisha alone. It had allegedly collected over Rs 2000 crore and duped gullible investors to the tune of around Rs 1,000 crore.
Sahiruddin had invested the money in various businesses like garments, pharmacy, education sectors and even in foreign countries. The company has bought 50 acres of land at different places.
The company had collected around Rs 500 crore from people in Odisha.
The Odisha Crime Branch had earlier probed the chit fund case and frozen dozens of bank accounts of the prime accused, apart from seizing huge quantities of gold and silver coins from his possession.
The CBI officials took the two to a police station first and then to the Bhubaneswar office. After the CBI action, other scamsters involved in it are scared of.
PNN