Villagers caution against ‘sericulture farming’ fraud

[ Karyir Riba ]
ROING, Mar 24: The residents of Bizari village in Dambuk circle of Lower Dibang Valley district have issued a caution against a fraud taking place in the district in the name of sericulture farming.
Totem Megu, a resident of Bizari who has been duped, informed that one Miding Damin from the same village has conned the villagers and duped them off Rs 2,44,850.
He said Damin conned the villagers into buying into a sericulture project and introduced them to two persons apparently representing a Nirjuli-based agency which Damin said would assist the villagers with the new business.
“They told us that the cocoons would be bought from us directly by their agency in Delhi,” said Megu.
He said the villagers were asked to pay Rs 1150 each as investment in February 2018.
“However, even after repeated reminders, Damin stopped entertaining us after having taken the amount from so many villagers,” Megu said.
The villagers said they found out the number of the Nirjuli-based agency with much difficulty and contacted it, only to learn that Damin had never deposited the villagers’ money to the agency.
“The duped villagers conducted a meeting at the Bizari musup on 21 March this year, during which Damin promised to return our money before 25 May, failing which the villagers would have the right to his property,” Megu said.
He said the villagers are making the fraud public because they have heard about Damin doing the same thing in other areas of the district, as well.
“We want the public to know about it and to not fall prey and part with their hard-earned money,” said the villagers.