Crime branch seeks govt nod to attach Sai Pragati's assets

The EOW has already registered four cases against the company

The Economic Offence Wing (EOW) under the Crime Branch of Odisha police has sought the nod of the state government to attach properties of yet another chit fund operator Sai Pragati Group of Companies. The fraudulent operator is accused of duping investors’ money worth Rs 20 crore.

The company has about 47 acres of land in Bhubaneswar and its outskirts, besides Rs 2.70 crore in its bank account.

The EOW has registered four cases against the company.

Earlier, the EOW had handed over documents of other financial entities — Flourish India, Saradha Group, Sastra Enterprises Pvt Ltd, Seashore Group, Green Ray International and Aastha International to the finance department for attachment of properties.

On last Thursday, Saradha Group chief Sudipta Sen was remanded to judicial custody till July 10 by the Khurda district and sessions judge court in a money laundering case. In Odisha, fraudulent chit fund companies had duped investors’ money worth Rs 4,600 crore, affecting around one million families.

The chit fund scam is being investigated by the CBI in accordance with the direction of the Supreme Court.

The central investigating agency is probing cases against 44 scam tainted firms in Odisha that include West Bengal based Saradha Group and state based Seashore and Artha Tatwa Group among others.