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Depositors taken for a ride by businessman?

CUTTACK: A Tamil Nadu businessman after allegedly swindling more than Rs. 1 crore from about hundred persons of Cuttack city has fled after locking his office and business establishment. About 22 persons who had deposited money with the businessman to purchase household appliances have registered complaints in the Bidanasi police station of the city on Tuesday.

According to police, one S. Murudasan of Tamil Nadu along with four of his associates came to city in September this year and opened his business establishment called Maha Laxmi Bhandar. He lured customers promising to supply appliances including TV, refrigerators, sofa sets and motorcycles at 45 per cent of the market price.

“He had asked us to deposit 45 per cent of the price of the product and take away the products after 12 days of the deposit”, says a housewife of the locality who had deposited Rs 10,000 to purchase several appliances including a colour TV.

Murudasan also collected huge amount of money from some customers promising to pay them double the amount deposited after 22 days, says the local police station inspector A.K.Mohanty. “Many meek and mild persons despite repeated warnings from the police to stay away from such fraudulent businessmen, deposited the money with Murudasan with the hope of getting easy money.

Even a police constable — K.C. Biswal of the local police station was also tempted with it and also deposited some money for some products. But when Murudasan fled from the spot Biswal broke open his showroom and was trying to run away with some of his office assets. He was caught hold by others and was handed over to police. The constable has been arrested, an unconfirmed report said.

Interestingly, in order to win the confidence of the people Murudasan initially supplied the items “But when the customers turned up in large numbers and deposited huge amount with him he fled from the spot pocketing the entire cash, police said adding a massive manhunt is on to nab him.

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