Oscar chit fund link: Crime Branch issues notices to Ollywood artists

The Odisha Crime Branch, probing into the Oscar chit fund scam, has issued notices to five Ollywood artists over their alleged links with the ponzi firm, sources said.

The notice issued by Crime Branch in connection to Oscar chit fund scam reportedly names Uttam Mohanty, Papu Pom Pom, Jina, Lipi and Kajal. These actors have been told to keep their side before Crime Branch within two weeks.

According to reports, the five artists had gone to Surat in the past to participate in promotional events of the Oscar Group. During the programmes, they had allegedly addressed the gathering in favour of the chit fund company and its chief Prabhas Rout.

It is said that, the Oscar Group organized events at Surat played a pivotal role in attracting a good number of gullible investors from that area. The claim gained ground when a group of 15 depositors from Maharashtra arrived in Odisha last month and lodged a complaint with CB’s Economic Offence Wing (EOW) claiming that they invested in the company being influenced by the Surat event.

The Oscar chit fund firm was established by Prabhash Chandra Rout in 2010 and ran business in Odisha, Gujrat, and Maharashtra. It allegedly duped gullible investors to the tune of Rs 230 crore.

Later on it entered into Odia film production business and produced Ollywood movies like To Akhire Mun, Most Wanted, Balunga Toka and Rangila Toka.

WATCH: Interview with Anubhav Mohanty about chit fund and casting couch