balurghat: A man accused of defrauding women Self-Help-Groups (SHGs) of nearly Rs 3.5 lakh was arrested by locals and handed over to police in Balurghat on Wednesday night, while his wife, believed to be the mastermind, remains absconding.
Police sources said the couple had allegedly collected money from several SHGs six months ago under the pretext of offering attractive returns. Soon after amassing the amount, they fled the area, leaving many women in a financial crisis.
The accused, identified as Goutam Sarkar (32) of Durgapur village, returned secretly to his in-laws’ house at Chingispur in Balurghat on Wednesday to collect belongings. Acting on a tip-off, alert villagers kept him under watch for several hours before detaining him and handing him over to Balurghat Police. The victims expressed anger over the financial losses they suffered. “They took away our hard-earned savings and left us struggling. Many of us had borrowed money to contribute to the SHG. We are still paying off debts,” said a member of a Durgapur-based group.
Locals further alleged that the couple used Rakhi Sarkar, Goutam’s wife, to build trust among women before convincing them to hand over their money. Police believe Rakhi played a major role in the scheme and later went into hiding.
Confirming the arrest, Sumanta Biswas, Inspector-in-Charge of Balurghat Police Station, said: “We have received multiple complaints of cheating worth nearly Rs 3.5 lakh from different self-help groups. One accused, Goutam Sarkar, is in custody. We are conducting raids to trace his wife, Rakhi Sarkar, who is absconding.