1.622 kg gold & 208 kg silver coins recovered from ponzi firms

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government's economic offence wing ( EOW) and state police have seized cash worth Rs one crore, 1.662 kg gold and 208.840 kg silver coins and other valuable items from different ponzi companies between 2012 and June, 2014, official sources said.

"About 163 fraud financial institutions have collected Rs 4,565 crore as deposits from the people," finance minister Pradip Kumar Amat said. He said as many as 422 cases have been registered against such fraud companies of which chargesheet have been filed in 332 cases.

While EOW has lodged 30 cases, 412 cases are made by police in different districts of the state, they said adding that 666 persons have so far been arrested in connection with the illegal chitfund activities.

Among the major seizures made by the state government agencies were: large number of documents, 24 four-wheelers, one pick-up auto, seven two-wheelers, nine industrial units, two farm houses, one godown, 164 plots,residential and office buildings over 815.194 acre of land.

"All the movable and immovable properties have been seized for confiscation as per the law," Amat said adding that the government has freezed bank accounts of such ponzi companies having deposits of Rs 218 crore.