Tamil Nadu farmer ends life after losing Rs 15L in FQL scam

MADURAI/DINDIGUL: A farmer from Kasampatti near Natham allegedly died by suicide after losing Rs15 lakh in the suspected FQL investment scam, triggering a road blockade by his relatives on the Natham-Madurai National Highway.Amid growing outrage, DGP Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal on Monday transferred all six related cases to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) for a detailed inquiry.According to police, the deceased Raj had allegedly invested Rs15 lakh believing claims that it will double. On realising that he had fallen victim to an investment fraud, he was devastated, and subsequently hanged himself in a tree near Kasampatti, police said. A senior police official told TOI that 21 accused have been arrested so far from Madurai, Sivaganga, Dindigul and Virudhunagar districts in connection with the multi-district fraud through an app called FQL linked to cryptocurrency.Raj’s relatives blocked the road near Vathipatti junction carrying his body, demanding action against those responsible for the scam. Though police held talks with the protesters, they refused to withdraw causing severe traffic congestion on the busy stretch. Additional police personnel were deployed to regulate traffic. A case was registered by Natham Police, and further investigation is underway.The official said several bank accounts linked to the suspects have been frozen. Authorities have also initiated steps to freeze cryptocurrency wallets used by the accused. A non-transaction request has been issued to the registration authorities to prevent the sale, transfer, or alteration of immovable properties linked to the accused. Lookout circulars (LOCs) have also been issued against key suspects, the official added.Meanwhile, revenue officials set up a special camp at Madurai district collectorate campus, where 193 petitions related to the scam were received. Altogether, around 37,000 complaints connected to the FQL scam have been received in Madurai district so far.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Madurai | Silver Rate in Madurai | Bank Holidays in Madurai | Public Holidays in Madurai | Madurai AQI | Weather in Madurai | Petrol Price in Madurai | Diesel Price in Madurai | CNG Price in Madurai | LPG Price in MaduraiStay updated with the latest Madurai news. Download the TOI App.