BENGALURU: Hundreds of depositors who were cheated of lakhs of rupees by Green Birds Agro Farm Limited, staged a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Tuesday. The protest was led by farmer leader and president of the State Sugarcane Growers’ Association Kuruburu Shanthakumar.
The state government had ordered a CID investigation after it came to light in 2013 that more than 10,000 depositors had been cheated. Since then, many fraud cases were registered against the company, and its properties were auctioned.
The depositors, including street vendors, poor farmers and women, on Tuesday demanded that the money obtained through auction should be returned to them immediately and fairly. According to the depositors, “Ninety per cent of the properties related to the company have already been auctioned and the money received from this should be paid to depositors immediately. The remaining 10 per cent of company assets should be auctioned immediately and the money given to depositors.”
Further, they demanded action against the accused who have come out on bail, as they are trying to get in touch with the depositors and giving them fake assurances.
They also urged the Special Competent Authority to form a committee which includes Shanthakumar, and representatives of depositors who were cheated, and inform them about further processes, ensuring justice to about 1.5lakh depositors across the state.
A copy of the auction announcement of properties should be published on the notice board of the taluk office and offices of the deputy commissioners of the respective districts. Doing so will get more publicity and the number of people buying properties will increase, they said.