Co-op society fraud: Cops told to register cases

Thiruvananthapuram: District police chief (rural) Shilpa D issued a directive to Nedumangad police to register cases on all the complaints related to the fraud at Nedumangad Merchant Labour Cooperative Society.
Hundreds of people were allegedly cheated crores by the administrative panel of the society. Despite receiving several complaints about the scam, local police have not registered any cases. The new rural SP, who took the matter seriously, sought a legal opinion on it. The directive was issued on the basis of the legal opinion that favoured theregistration of cases on all the complaints.
A special investigation team of the rural crime branch, headed by DSP Johnson KJ had launched a probe into a complaint raised by a Kollamkavu native, who was allegedly cheated Rs 70 lakh by the society panel.
“Usually, on such cheating complaints, cases will be registered only after getting audit or vigilance reports. In the fraud associated with the Nedumangad society, no suchreports were available and it shut down in 2020,” said a police officer.
“We have issued notices to all who filed the complaints and cases will be registered soon,” he said.
By offering 12%interest, the bank lured hundreds of people to deposit money but none among them received any interest. Worse, they lost their deposits as well.
The scam took place during 2013-2020 but people started registering cases only last year after all their efforts to get back their money failed.
It has been alleged that the scam may run into about Rs 12 crore but police officers said the figure may go up as more and more people have started coming up with complaints.
The crime branch team is probing a case against the secretary of the administrative panel MettleLopez and its president Rajesh, who is reportedly a local Congress leader inNedumangad.