Jaipur:
The Rajasthan Police is under the scanner in the Gold Sukh fraud case in which over 1.75 lakh investors were duped of Rs 200 crore. The company, Gold Sukh, that operated out of Jaipur had promised a 150 per cent increase in investments in 18 months.
Though there are no clear estimates, it is believed that over Rs 200 crore has been swindled. The company ran its fraud in 27 cities across the country. The four directors of this company have vanished. Sources say they fled abroad after transferring crores out of the country through the hawala route. Several investors, on the other hand, have gone bankrupt.
Gold Sukh promised its investors unrealistic returns of upto 150 per cent increase in money, which they promised to invest in gold
But the Rajasthan police, despite investigations over the past one year by the Economic Offences Wing, the Crime Branch and 7 FIRs in the matter, refused to react or take action against Gold Sukh.
Questions are now being raised weather was this negligence or a deliberate omission on their part?
"When I complained to the police they made no effort to find out that a company is promising to give one crore returns on an investment of one lakh , They should have investigated how this was possible," says Rakesh Baweja, complainant and an investor in Gold Sukh.
Not just police investigations, a special report into Gold Sukh's tall claims by the Economic Offences Wing was also ignored. Finally three months ago, the crime branch wrote to district police officers asking them to investigate and take action against Gold Sukh. This too was never followed up and the police admits it goofed up.
"Action should have been taken with whatever law is in place there are sections under the IPC to take action," said arish Meena, Director General of Police, Rajasthan.
If it was negligence or a deliberate ommission not known yet, but one thing's certain that the police's inaction gave the fraud company's directors enough time to flee the country with their ill-gotten gains.