KOTTAYAM: Even as the police investigation progresses into the CSR fund scam, complaints are still flooding in from across the state, with a significant number from Kottayam district. According to sources, more than 750 complaints have been received in various police stations in Kottayam alone.
The number of complaints is expected to surge even further, considering that more than 7,000 people had enrolled in the scheme offered by the company led by 26-year-old Anandhu Krishnan, who was arrested by the police in connection with the fraudulent scheme. It is estimated that around Rs 15 crore has been swindled from gullible people in Kottayam district alone.
The SPIARDS, an NGO named in the case, had formed various SEED (Social Education Economic Development) societies at block panchayat level across the state to implement their schemes of providing various home appliances, laptops, two-wheelers and other materials at half the market price. Each society comprises a president, secretary, coordinators and field promoters to promote the scheme and encourage people to join them.
The office-bearers said the societies were formed in early 2020, and have been operating smoothly until the schemes were expanded in 2024. To join schemes, societies collected Rs 320 as registration fee and Rs 700 for filing an affidavit that the scooters won’t be sold for up to five years.
A total of 1,576 people paid an amount ranging from Rs 56,000 to Rs 60,000 for scooters depending on their engine capacity. For laptops valued Rs 40,000, participants had to pay Rs 20,000, while for home appliances applicants could choose the products they wanted and pay half of the price.
Apart from Anandhu Krishan, coordinator of National NGO Confederation, claimed to be an association of various NGOs, Sheeba Suresh, chairperson of SPIARDS, and Suma Anil Kumar, its secretary, were in constant contact with SEED society office-bearers and conducted training sessions for them.
“The schemes initially began by offering mushroom kits at half the price, which later expanded to sewing machines, school kits (bag, umbrella, water bottle etc), and even Onam kits (vegetables and groceries). As offerings grew, umbrella machines and power machines were introduced at discounted prices. Everything was running smoothly until the introduction of scooter schemes in July 2024. The news of this scheme spread quickly through social media, causing a rush of people to participate,” said secretary of the Kanjirappally SEED society.