Mateen Hafeez TNN
Mumbai: Cops probing the multi-crore SpeakAsia case said the company had returned complainant Navneen Khosla’s money but it will not impact the criminal case. Khosla, who first lodged the complaint with the EOW, was paid Rs 6.06 lakh by the All India SpeakAsia Panelists’ Association (AISPA) two days ago. In his complaint, Khosla had said that he invested Rs 6.06 lakh but did not get his money back. The EOW began a probe and arrested 10 persons, including several office-bearers of the firm. “I have got six demand drafts collectively amounting to the money I invested,” said Khosla, adding, “I have not withdrawn the complaint. It is the state’s prerogative what it wants to do with the case.” Khosla is the only one who has got his money back. Police records show that over 20 lakh investors had invested money in the firm’s survey schemes. The company, say police, has duped investors to the tune of Rs 2,276 crore. SpeakAsia had promised to pay Rs 52,000 returns on successful completion of surveys in ayear. The fee (or investment) for this was Rs 11,000. Advocate Ahmed Abdi, representing the AISPA, said, “It was a collective donation by the panelists. Some of them worked on it and collected money to give it back to the complainant. This comes after some panelists were unnecessarily dragged in the case. The police are also harassing the panelists. We are interested in getting our money back.” “Show me one company which has repaid money to its investors after a police case? But Speak-Asia is doing so,” said Abdi. Currently, the SC-appointed mediator is compiling the number of panelists who want to ‘exit’ the company, a process that will be completed by March 31. Sources in the police said this will not affect their case. “Even the SC has said that mediation is separate from the case. “Money has been repaid by an association and not by SpeakAsia. We are probing a case against the firm. We have 200 other victims,” the official said.
The Times of India, March 19, 2012
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