The West Bengal Ponzi scheme fiasco claimed one more life, after an agent of a company, who had consumed poison on Sunday night, succumbed at a Kolkata hospital on Tuesday morning.
Mrinal Mondal, who worked for Self Trust company based in North 24 Parganas district, had gone into depression as he was unable to repay money to the depositors who had been breathing down his neck after the company-owned mall in Basirhat closed down a few days ago.
“Soon after the shopping mall closed down, the depositors got wind they might not be able to get back their money. They not only ransacked the shopping mall but Mondal’s home too and assaulted him and other family members,” said a relative of Mondal’s, wishing anonymity.
He said Mondal assured the depositors to give him time so that he would sell off his property and return their money. But on Sunday night, he consumed poison.
Thousands of people, mostly the poor, have lost their lifetime savings in the Saradha investment scam and sent thousands of others in a scramble to withdraw their money from other companies. With the names of several Trinamool leaders figuring in the list of Saradha beneficiaries, the scam had created a political storm in the state.
{{/usCountry}}Thousands of people, mostly the poor, have lost their lifetime savings in the Saradha investment scam and sent thousands of others in a scramble to withdraw their money from other companies. With the names of several Trinamool leaders figuring in the list of Saradha beneficiaries, the scam had created a political storm in the state.
{{/usCountry}}Two people had committed suicide on Sunday night and another on Monday, taking the Ponzi scheme toll to 11.
Sixty-two-year old Jagdish Roy, a former employee of Sodepur Cotton Mill, hung himself from the ceiling of his Rishi Bankimnagar residence in Khardah, North 24 Parganas, on Sunday night.
Jayanta Sarkar, managing director of Hello India Express, in Hooghly, was found hanging at his Chuchura residence on Sunday night.
His family told the police that before committing suicide, Sarkar held late night meetings with three employees of his company, against whom an FIR has been filed.
Sixty-five-year old Chintabala Sadhukhan died on Monday of cardiac failure said to have been triggered by severe depression, after learning that R2 lakh she had deposited with a chit fund company was gone for ever.
Earlier, three deaths were reported from South 24 Parganas and Murshidabad districts and another from Purulia district. At least two attempted suicides were also reported from Murshidabad and South 24 Parganas.