Agartala: The chit fund scam in West Bengal had ripple effects in Tripura, where police swung into action on public complaints and protests to arrest the director of a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).
“Police arrested the director of ‘Self Trust’, an NBFC, Dipak Saha, last night (Saturday) after hundreds of agitated people across the state gathered in front of the company’s office in Ranir Bazar,” a police official told reporters yesterday.
The office of the chit fund is close to the state capital.
Yesterday, the accused was produced in a local court, which sent him to police custody for five days.
The police official said: “According to the preliminary probe, the company had collected at least Rs30m from people in Tripura. Of the nine-member board of directors of the chit fund, four are from West Bengal. There are five directors resident in Tripura.”
Both tribal and non-tribal people complained to police that although their deposits matured last year, they were still to receive returns, despite persistent demands.
Meanwhile, ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist has asked its partymen to take strong steps against NBFCs, popularly known as chit fund companies.
“As the central government has not been opening sufficient number of bank branches in the rural and remote areas and has been reducing the interest rate on small savings, such type of chit funds are mushrooming in most places,” CPM state secretary Bijan Dhar said, while addressing a party meeting here yesterday.
“The wrong policies of the central government have caused the rapid increase of chit fund companies in India,” Dhar said, urging party cadres and supporters to take strong views against these illegal organisations.
IANS
