India-based networking biz dupes thousands
NEW DELHI, AUG 14 -
Thousands of Nepalis from the Mid-Western Development Region have been duped by a “networking” business being operated by a Nepali in Lucknow, India.
Bay-Beneficial Venture Marketing Pvt Ltd, which has been operating since November 2012 at Gomati Nagar in Lucknow, has appointed agents in the villages of the Mid-Western Development Region who have taken people to Lucknow after filling them with dreams that their investment would be doubled and trebled based on the number of members they are able to enlist.
According to the victims, the company asks its members to purchase a plain shirt and pants for which they charge as much as IRs 10,000. As they pay a huge amount to become a member, they are forced to purchase the goods at a high price. Santi Budamagar and her brother Som Kumar Budamagar, who work in an apparel making shop situated at Chanauta in Kapilvastu, went to Lucknow. They paid Rs 70,000 to obtain membership in the scheme and returned home.
They were promised that those who can increase the number of members within a short span of time will be rewarded with cash amounting to two-three times their investment.
According to them, the weeklong training session that teaches the participants how to win the confidence of the people and convince them to invest in the plan had over 300 Nepali participants.
A victim from Mahendranagar said that a few members of Unity Life International, which had been shut down by the government around two years ago, are involved in Be-Beneficial.
Victims have said that the business which started with a website showing Pabitra Rai and Suraj Singh Bista of Dharan as its promoters has become successful in influencing people from Kapilvastu, Rupandehi, Palpa, Gulmi, Arghakhanchi, Dang and Pyuthan and take them to Lucknow. “I have been to Lucknow nine times. The company’s marketing agents are skilled at sweet talking and making people dream,” said one of the members Rachana Khadka from Chanauta, Kapilvastu. “Around 20-25 people in a group visit Lucknow at a time.”
Though Bay-Beneficial is registered in Uttar Pradesh state in India, the local administration and police authorities are unaware about the matter since the company has made only Nepali members. “This is because no evidence of cheating of Indian citizens has been recorded,” said an official working at the Rupandehi District Administration Office who is also one of the victims of the network business.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
