Bhubnaeswar, Dec 13: The Economic Offences Wing, Bhubaneswar has arrested Tanweer Nazri and Md. Abdul Hasnain of Vastav India Trust for duping the public and parents on the pretext of providing scholarships and supplying LED bulbs.
While Tanweer is the President of the Vastav India Trust, Abdul is the secretary of the company.
They were arrested from Ranchi, Jharkhand on December 11 last and produced before the local JMFC, Ranchi and were brought to Bhubaneswar on the strength of 48 hours transit remand.
EOW sources said both the accused will be produced before the OPID Cuttack on Tuesday.
The accused were arrested on a petition of one Sebati Mahanta and others against Vastav India Trust.
They alleged that the President, Secretary, CMD and project in-charge of “Vastav India Trust” have duped the public and parents on the pretext of selling/supplying LED bulbs in their solar awareness program and giving pre- matric scholarship to the students in their ‘Chuuloo Aasman’ program to the tune Rs 4 crore.
The ‘Vastav India Trust’ registered with Sub-Registrar, Ranchi, Jharkhand, had opened an office at Bomikhal, in Bhubaneswar during March, 2022.
The arrested accused persons in connivance with others launched two programmes on ‘solar awareness’ and ‘pre-matric scholarship’ namely “Chuuloo Aasman”. Under solar awareness programme.
They used to collect Rs.1650 in cash from each applicant as member fee with assurance to supply them with LED bulbs.
In their pre-matric scholarship program named “Chuuloo Aasman”, the trust was offering the scholarship of Rs 1,000 per month up to 24 months on their one-time deposit of Rs 3,000 as a membership charge.
The scholarship amount was payable to the bank account opened in the name of the parents of the concerned students.
In this way, the trust collected approximately Rs 4 crore from more than 3500 persons, both public and parents.
After taking one-time membership fees, the trust initially sent Rs 1,000 each to some students but did not pay any amount afterwards.
Suddenly, the trust and the office bearers vanished by closing down their offices.
The money so collected fraudulently by the trust was misappropriated by the President, Secretary, project in-charge and other officials of the trust.
The field of operation of the Trust spreads over in States like Odisha, Jharkhand, Delhi and Bihar.
The EOW will be alerting the concerned authorities/ police of these states soon.
During the investigation, many incriminating documents like the trust deed of Vastav India Trust, and fake money receipts issued to the investors have been seized, EOW sources said.
