110 people done in by ‘cheap price’ besiege Collector for help

A group of four duped Naduvalur villagers of Rs. 16 lakh a year ago

Residents of Naduvalur village near Thruraiyur who were duped of a house site patta seeking action by the district administratioin at the Collectorate on Monday. Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam

One house site patta at a prime area at Thuraiyur in Tiruchi district is being offered through Adi Dravidar Welfare Department for a price of Rs. 15,000.

This was the catchy slogan adopted by a group of four to dupe 110 villagers of Naduvalur of Rs. 16 lakh a year ago. When the people of the village sought refund, the culprits told them that their money had been handed over to the Adi Dravidar Welfare Department officials.

“Although a year has passed since we gave them our hard-earned money, we are yet to get the pattas,” say the villagers who came to submit a petition to Jayashree Muralidaran, District Collector, during the weekly grievances day meeting here on Monday.

K. Asaithambi, who led the petitioners, said that most of those who lost their money were daily wage workers.

“We neither got the patta nor the money. We, poor labourers, fell into the trap because of the cheap price.”