Shirva: Case registered against three women for alleged fraud in self-help society initiative

Team Udayavani, Aug 31, 2023, 9:01 AM IST

A case has been officially filed against three women at the Shirva police station for their involvement in a self-help society initiative that allegedly turned out to be a fraudulent scheme.

The accused individuals are said to have launched the initiative with the promise of facilitating subsidized loans for self-employment opportunities for unemployed women. However, they are now facing allegations of defrauding society members by obtaining loans from a bank and subsequently failing to repay them.

The accused have been identified as Rohita Putran of Hejamadi, the association’s president Savita, and its secretary Usha.

The self-help society, named Shree Durga PMEEGP SHG, was spearheaded by Rohita Putran of Hejamadi in 2020. The initiative aimed to empower rural unemployed women by involving them in the production and sale of homemade food products. Assurances of subsidized loan facilities from a bank were provided to the members, leading to the collection of signatures from association members to facilitate these loans.

Under the arrangement, each member was required to contribute Rs. 5,000, totaling Rs. 30,000, for the alleged association expenses related to the loan. It was communicated that the loan would be waived by the government if repaid within a year, amounting to Rs. 25 lakhs.

However, a shocking turn of events unfolded when association members received a bank notice demanding repayment of Rs. 6,25,000. In response, an emergency meeting was convened, and the members visited the bank to inquire about the discrepancy. During this investigation, it was revealed that Rohita Putran’s son was involved in deceptive activities that had led to this predicament.

A case has been registered.