CBI arrests Kasargod Ponzi scam-accused on deportation from Saudi Arabia

Kasargod, Mar 28: The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested an absconding accused Sudeer Muhammed Cheriya Vannarakkal, an economic offender, at Delhi who was deported from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He was involved in five cases registered in CBI at Chennai.

CBI had got issued a Red Notice through Interpol against the accused. The accused was located in Saudi Arabia and with the close assistance and coordination with the authorities in Saudi Arabia through Interpol channels, he was deported back to India.

The arrested accused will be produced before a court at Ernakulam (Kerala).

CBI had registered five cases on the Orders of Kerala High Court and taken over the investigation of the cases, earlier registered at Police Station Kasargod (Kerala).

In four cases, it was alleged that the accused and others floated a private company based at Kasargod, made false promises and representations to the public at large with the assurance to return of investment with exorbitant rate of interest after 61 days of their investments and also promised to pay commission of 2 per cent per month to the agents who had mobilized the investments for the said company.

During investigation, it was found that from 2009-11, all the accused had entered into conspiracy at Kasargod and other places, floated a fraudulent scheme called Forex trade (trading with foreign currencies). They promised monthly returns of 7% on principal to the depositors and 2% to the agents for mobilizing the depositors.

They collected huge deposits in cash to the tune of around Rs 9,93,68,000 from depositors and cheated them by not repaying the assured returns as well as the principal amount, thereby causing huge loss to the depositors.

After investigation, a chargesheet was filed in the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ernakulam. The accused were declared as Proclaimed Offenders by the Court.

The fifth case was registered on the allegations that the accused induced the complainant to arrange Rs 50 lakh as deposit and promised to give monthly returns arising out of his business to the depositors. The Complainant allegedly invested Rs 19 Lakh in the year 2011 in the said company and the accused did not pay returns or the principal amount to the complainant.