Hundreds of people who had invested in the schemes of the Rose Valley Group of Companies attacked a premier property of the group in south Kolkata on Thursday.
An agitation demanding return of money turned violent when a mob comprising agents and investors vandalised a hotel belonging to the company.
Senior officials said the local police station had to intervene to control the situation. Two protesters were detained.
The Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate have been carrying out investigations into the illegal deposits of the Rose Valley Group. The company’s chairman and managing director Gautam Kundu was arrested in March 2015 and has been behind bars since then.
The CBI, in its charge sheet against Mr. Kundu and other senior officials of the company, mentioned charges such as criminal conspiracy (Section 120 B of IPC) cheating (Section of 420 of IPC) along with Sections 4 and 6 of The Prize Chits Money Circulation Schemes banning Act. The ED has attached properties valued at ₹1250 crore of the company.
Those protesting during the day claimed that while they had not got their money back, certain business activities of the company were still going on. They questioned the tardy pace of investigation into the scam.
The Trinamool Congress, whose leaders including MP Sudip Banerjee were arrested for their alleged involvement in the scam, had raised questions over the long duration of investigations. Mr. Banerjee, who was arrested in December 2016, was granted bail in May this year.
Senior TMC leader Partha Chatterjee said the West Bengal government had taken steps to return money by setting up a commission but people had not got any money back since the Central agencies started the probe.
