In a case involving a chit fund scam, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has filed a prosecution complaint before the Honourable Special Court Patna, Bihar against (a) Pratigya Housing Finance and Construction Company Ltd, Behala, Kolkata and its Directors (b) Sambit Banerjee S/o Late Dipten Banerjee and others. On July 21, 2023, the complaint was given legal consideration by the Honourable Special Court of Patna.
Based on the FIR and accompanying charge sheet filed by the EOU in Patna, Bihar, the FIRs filed by P.S. Katihar Town in Katihar, Bihar, and P.S. Forbesganj (Araria), Bihar in the chit fund scam perpetrated by Pratigya Housing Finance and Construction Company Ltd. in Behala, Kolkata, were the foundation for the ED’s money laundering investigation.
According to an investigation by the ED, Pratigya Housing Finance and Construction Company Ltd defrauded locals in Bhagalpur and other districts of Bihar out of a sizable sum of money by appointing agents and making members while promising to invest their money in various schemes at enticing rates of interest up to 11% on the principal amount. Innocent people made sizable deposits with Pratigya Housing Finance and Construction firm Ltd in a number of the firm’s schemes, but the company didn’t refund the money; instead, it gathered the money and invested it in the name of the company and its directors.
A provisional attachment order was previously issued by the ED to seize assets in the form of ten immovable properties valued at Rs. 2,47,88,514 in the names of Dipten Banerjee and Pratigya Housing Finance and Construction Company Ltd., located in the districts of Banka & Katihar in Bihar and Jalpaiguri in West Bengal. Further research is now being conducted.
