A group of youths in Dibrugarh on Thursday alleged that a local NGO – Krikhak – has duped unemployed youths from Dibrugarh of crores of money using fraudulent means in the name of sanctioning loans.
Addressing a press conference at the Greater Dibrugarh Press Club on Thursday, the youths alleged, “Bhabani Kumar Gogoi, president of the NGO, Krikhak and Luhit Gogoi, an employee of the HDFC Bank, Dibrugarh have duped many unemployed youths like me and have siphoned off crores of money.”
Nikhil Ranjan Sarmah, a youth from Dibrugarh, alleged, “In July, 2015, Bhabani Kumar Gogoi and Luhit Gogoi, who identified himself as a bank employee at HDFC Bank, Dibrugarh branch, came to our house and requested me to avail an agricultural loan from the HDFC bank. Bhabani Kumar Gogoi told me that he would help me of availing the loan from HDFC Bank through his NGO,” adding, “I am an unemployed youth having no source of income. So, I agreed with the proposal offered by them and decided to avail the loan facility of the bank.” Sarmah also added, “Both of them fraudulently took signature from me in blank cheque and siphoned off my money.”
He further alleged, “They asked me to provide my PAN card/ Voter card and other documents and after taking all those documents, Bhabani Gogoi and Luhit Gogoi asked me to come to the HDFC bank’s Dibrugarh branch to put my signature in some of the official documents. I went to the bank and signed accordingly. After 2/3 weeks they handed over a cheque book to me and one bank passbook of HDFC bank. After few days, they informed me that the loan was sanctioned and the money was deposited in my account.” Sarmah added, “They had taken several signatures in blank cheque from me stating that blank cheques are necessary to regularise the loan amount. When I went to the bank to pay the due installments of loan, I came to know that the sanctioned loan amount was very high than the amount which I actually require.” Stating that he had received a sum of Rs 2,30,000 only as loan from the bank account, Sarmah alleged, “The remaining balance amount of Rs 4,28000 was misappropriated by Bhabani Gogoi and Luhit Gogoi from my account.” Sarmah claimed that the duo has duped more than 80 unemployed youths in Dibrugarh of money.
“When I contacted them to ask about the balance amount which was supposed to have remained in my account, they have admitted that they had received the balance amount from my account, but that amount has been invested in real estate and in the field of brick kiln and within a short time the whole loan amounts would be paid,” he added.
A case has been registered u/s 420/406/468 at Dibrugarh Police Station on October 12, 2017 against Bhabani Gogoi and Luhit Gogoi, informed Sarmah.
Another victim, Ranjan Dutta said, “Three months have passed we filed an FIR against the duo, but till date, the police have failed to arrest them. We met the Dibrugarh Superintendent of Police Gautam Borah and informed him about the matter; but still no action has been taken so far.” Dutta has urged the police to immediately arrest the duo who have duped many unemployed youths from Dibrugarh of money. He alleged that a loan amount of Rs 4 lakh was sanctioned in his name, but he received only Rs 2 lakh.
“As per our knowledge, both of them approached many unemployed youths of Dibrugarh and assured them of avail loan to them, but later siphoned off the money from them and fled away from Dibrugarh,” Dutta said.