Victim of chit fund fraud in Thoothukudi demand recovery of deposited money, stag stir
THOOTHUKUDI: Alleging that an auction chit fund in Rajiv Nagar cheated them of crores, the Thoothukudi public staged a protest at the collectorate campus here on Wednesday, seeking the district administration to take measures to recover the money and ensure the immediate arrest of the firm's owner, who is allegedly at large.
According to the protesters, over 500 people across the district had deposited their hard-earned money at 'Thoothukudi Annai Chit Funds', operated by Arun Kumar of Kathirvel Nagar, in the past 10 years. Most of the depositors are small traders, workers and hawkers. Arun Kumar recently shuttered the office at Rajiv Nagar and went into hiding. Following this, the public lodged a complaint with the Thoothukudi South police, who are yet to confirm the arrest of the suspect, they alleged.
Appealing to the collector to take steps to recover the lost money, one Jebamani, a native of Thoothukudi, said, "I had deposited `300 at the chit funds every day for over 14 months. However, the company staff have not been visiting my shop to collect money for the past two weeks, and the office at Rajiv Nagar remains closed now."
Another victim said that the officers at the district police office had refused to accept their complaint and directed them to approach the South Police station. "The police say that they have detained the owner of the chit fund company. However, they are yet to confirm the arrest," the protester added.
Further, a widow from Vilathikulam said she had been depositing money under a `4 lakh chit scheme for the past one year. "The company was shut down without any intimation. The district administration must intervene, stand by the victims and help us get our deposits back," she said.