Who Is the Mastermind Behind the Chit Fund Scam Arrested in Tamil Nadu?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Sivakumar Gangadharan arrested after evading law enforcement since 2019.
- The chit fund scheme involved fraudulent collection of funds from unsuspecting investors.
- Rightmax Technotrade International Ltd was banned by SEBI in 2015 from raising public funds.
- The case highlights the ongoing issue of Ponzi schemes in India.
- Several arrests have been made over the years in connection with the scam.
Bhubaneswar, Aug 4 (NationPress) - The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended a director from Tamil Nadu linked to a widespread chit fund fraud, evading law enforcement since 2019, an official disclosed on Monday.
Sivakumar Gangadharan, also known as G. Sivakumar, a director of Rightmax Technotrade International Ltd, was arrested on Sunday in Karur, Tamil Nadu, by a CBI team from Bhubaneswar.
Declared a proclaimed offender in the chit fund scam case, Sivakumar had avoided capture since 2019 by frequently altering his location, according to the CBI.
Initially registered in 2014, the case involves serious allegations of fraud, criminal conspiracy, and breaches of the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978.
The CBI leveraged advanced technical tools and intelligence sources to locate Sivakumar, as stated by an official.
On Sunday, a CBI team from Bhubaneswar captured him and presented him before the Special CJM Court, which subsequently placed him in judicial custody until August 18.
Founded on April 1, 2010, in Bangalore, Rightmax Technotrade International is implicated in a multi-crore rupee chit fund scam, allegedly gathering funds from investors under the guise of offering extraordinary returns.
According to the CBI, this company is among 44 Ponzi schemes entangled in the multi-crore chit fund scandal, enticing investors with promises of a monthly interest rate of 10 percent on deposits.
In February 2015, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) prohibited the company from soliciting public funds.
The CBI initiated the case in 2014, focusing on allegations of fraud, conspiracy, and violations of the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act. The investigation has, over the years, targeted significant individuals associated with RTIL.
In Odisha, the company reportedly defrauded investors of around Rs 17 crore, leading to several officials being arrested in relation to the scam.
In 2017, an Odisha court sentenced two employees of the chit fund company to a three-year prison term.