Salem Police arrested fifteen individuals involved in a massive money-doubling scam and recovered Rs 12 crore in cash along with 2.5 kg of gold on Friday.
The prime accused, Vijaya Banu (48) from Vellore, was running a trust named ‘Annai Therasa Manitha Neya Arakattalai’ operating out of a marriage hall located in Kamarajar Colony, Ammapet. She reportedly lured people to invest their savings by promising attractive returns ranging from Rs one lakh to Rs five lakh.
However, Vijaya Banu did not issue any receipts to the investors, raising suspicion. Based on a tip-off, police raided the marriage hall on Thursday evening. The members of the trust resisted the police, leading to heated arguments and manhandling of the officers.
As tensions escalated, over 100 police personnel were deployed to secure the location and begin counting the seized money. With assistance from bank staff and counting machines, police discovered around Rs 12 crore in cash, alongside 2.5 kg of gold and 10 kg of silver.
Police are continuing investigations to uncover the full extent of the scam and identify other involved parties.
