1,500 Women Fall Victim to Massive Fraud Scheme Across Haryana; Main Accused Still at Large

Over 1,500 women across Haryana have been duped of crores of rupees by a sophisticated fraud operation. Six days after the case was registered, the three main accused-Pooja from Jatwara, her husband Vikram and brother-in-law Yogesh-continue to evade police capture.

The Elaborate Scam

The fraudsters gained victims' confidence by using a calculated multi-stage approach. First, they targeted women with promises of Rs 2,000 monthly income. After gaining credibility by actually paying this amount for some time, they introduced a "Rs 10,000 ID scheme" promising returns of Rs 21,000 within three months, with the principal amount refunded after six months.

Once the women invested in this scheme, the accused implemented their actual scheme, which was to collect victims' documents and secure bank loans from Rs 50,000 up to Rs 1.50 lakh in their names without obtaining proper consent or knowledge. 

Growing List of Victims

What started with complaints from Ambala women has spread over several districts. Similar complaints have come up from women of Kurukshetra, Kaithal, and Panchkula, showing the wide network of the scheme. Last Wednesday, about 250 women staged a dharna at the SP office demanding arrests.

The case, registered at the Panjokhra police station, has been transferred to the Economic Offences Wing for specialized investigation. Presently, the estimates are that more than 1,500 women have been defrauded by this gang.

Disappeared After Loan Approvals

When women either tried to collect promised returns or attempted to inquire about their investments, the accused stopped answering phone calls altogether. It was this sudden blackout in communication that warned victims that something was seriously amiss, after which they checked their financial records and found unauthorized loans taken out in their names. 

The accused took advantage of women's confidence and their desire to increase their financial status by targeting women looking for additional ways to earn income for their households with schemes that sounded quite legitimate. This was meant to enroll people into the scheme, but documents collected for that purpose were used to process bank loans without the victims' knowledge.

Police Investigation Underway

The main accused are still at large despite complaints being filed and the case turning six days old. The police have told the victims that investigations were progressing and arrests would be made soon. However, the delay has stoked fears among affected women about the chances of recovering their money or how they will return loans taken fraudulently in their names.

The Economic Offences Wing is scrutinising the banking records, loan applications and document trails to establish a comprehensive case against the accused, while simultaneously tracking their whereabouts.

This case underlines the vulnerabilities in banking procedures and also the need for greater financial literacy among prospective participants in investment schemes.