A clear picture on the fraud committed by two men in the Janasree Sustainable Development Mission’s Venjaramoodu branch is yet to emerge more than three weeks after the scam broke out.
Last week, the police questioned Ponganvila Chandran, secretary of the branch, who was arrested on April 26. They are preparing to record individual statements of each of the 80-odd complainants and of those who have taken loans from other units of Janasree’s Venjaramoodu branch to quantify how much Chandran, along with co-accused and treasurer of the branch, Chandrasekharan Nair, allegedly siphoned off.
The two have not remitted the cash paid by the beneficiaries as repayment of loans in the bank. The amount to be repaid could run above a crore.
V. Jayachandran, Circle Inspector, Venjaramoodu, said Chandran was not forthcoming during the interrogation and the details submitted to the police by the two banks from where the loans were taken – The Central Bank of India and the Punjab National Bank – were on the entire loan amount. How much exactly was repaid and how much was siphoned off by the accused would be known only after taking individual statements from the complainants, he said. Meanwhile, the police have asked a few sub-registrar offices for details of properties of the two accused and their relatives. If these were found to be purchased with money that could have been part of the loans, these properties would be attached, he said.
Chandrasekharan Nair, absconding since the police raids on the Janasree office on April 20, was last traced to the Kollam border, from where the police lost his trail.
“We hope to nab him soon,” Mr. Jayachandran said, adding that Chandran, after interrogation, had been returned to judicial custody.
Statements of 80-odd complainants have to be taken
Secretary questioned, returned to judicial custody
Three weeks on, treasurer of Venjaramoodu branch still at large
