Mangalore: 'Unkindest Cut' - Krishnapura's Fraud Blade Company Exits Overnight

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Apr 11: The people of Krishnapura were hoodwinked by a company which promised 100 percent returns within 10 days. The concern shut its doors within a few days of starting operations, but not before making a hefty profit, by making use of the innocence of the people, who have failed to learn lessons from many such instances reported by the media since several years.

Innumerable examples of such shops which operated in this area in the past failed to open the eyes of the gullible citizens. This happened, irrespective of the fact that the Suratkal police, growing suspicious about the modus operandi of the concern, had sounded both the owner of the building and those who operated the shop.

A few people from Tamil Nadu had opened ‘Manju Agencies’, dealing in household appliances, stainless steel utensils and other items, in a rented building in Krishnapura on March 23 this year. The licence to run the shop issued by the city corporation names the owner as K Kumareshan. The concerned had paid an advance rent of Rs 30,000 to the building owner, after fixing a monthly rental of Rs 7,500. Some local girls were employed to make the people believe it was a genuine concern. The shop operators said that anyone who deposits 50 percent of the cost of an item would be eligible to get the item without having to pay anything additional, after ten days.

The fact that the owner indeed handed over some items to those who registered themselves for this scheme on time, gave rise to greed among the locals, who thronged the shop to register their names. Once a sizeable amount was collected, the concerned fled from Krishnapura.

The shop had weekly holiday on Monday. On that night, owner of the building received a call from the owner of Manju Agencies, who said he had gone back to his hometown, duly abandoning the business. The caller reportedly asked the building owner to open the shop with the help of keys left behind in rented house, and allow the general public to take away items stored there, the police were told.

The police opened the shop on Tuesday afternoon in the presence of witnesses. They found some items and documents inside, which were taken into possession.

It is said that especially, a large number of women from middle and lower income group, fell victim to the smart plan of the businessmen. Many of those who have lost money, it is said, are not prepared to admit that they had entered the said scheme, and had fallen prey to the ulterior designs of the concerned. Still, a number of people came up with their complaints to the police station. As per the receipt book recovered from the shop, about 350 customers had booked various items by paying 50 percent of the cost, and only a few of them, who had entered the scheme in the initial stages, could get their goods.