AgriGold scam: Field verification of depositors from October 12

VIJAYAWADA: DGP N Sambasiva Rao has said there has been a significant improvement in the investigation process of the multi-crore inter-state AgriGold scam. He said sleuths of AP Crime Investigation Department (AP-CID) will conduct field verification from October 12 across the State to register and validate the details of 19 lakh depositors.In a press conference held at the DGP office here on Monday, Sambasiva Rao said the High Court ordered CID officials on September 11 to submit the total number of depositors for easy disbursement of their deposits.

He said the CID officials launched a website protectionofapdepositors.com in 2016 and asked all the depositors to register their details uploading a copy of the bonds and the receipts in the website. “Of the total 19 lakh depositors, close to 9.9 lakh had registered themselves on the website. To register the remaining 10 lakh depositors, we are going to conduct field verification by setting up special counters in every mandal headquarter across the State,” he said. 

Sambasiva Rao further said those depositors who have already uploaded details in the website are supposed to check the verification date assigned to them by entering their name or mobile number. 

“To reach every depositor in the State, adequate verification counters will be arranged to register the details of the depositor in the website. All the data will be submitted to the court for further proceedings. For this process, the State government has allocated `5 crore,” said Sambasiva Rao.

HC dismisses pleas of AgriGold directors
Hyderabad: In a setback to five directors of scam-hit AgriGold company, the Hyderabad High Court on Monday dismissed the petitions filed by them seeking to quash the criminal cases registered against them in various police stations of AP and Telangana in 2014 and 2015. Justice A Shankar Narayana dismissed the petitions saying that social security was involved in the cases relating to financial fraud.

The counsels appearing for the petitioners contended that they were the directors of the AgriGold earlier, but resigned from the posts in 2011.  Hence, they were not responsible for the cases registered against them in 2014 and 2015, they contented. AP Public Prosecutor Posani Venkateswarlu said the accused have floated 3 companies to collect deposits amounting to H7,000 cr from lakhs of depositors and later floated 158 companies to divert the money.