Finance firm under probe

Hopland Finance Company has its headquarters at Hemkunt, Rajendra Place, New Delhi, inspector Surendra Patil and sub inspector M. Nadaf, who are investigating the case, said. Its zonal office, located at Ashoka Enclave on Babasaheb Ambedkar Road in Cantonment, was closed two months back, they added.

Lt.Col. Uppal said he had invested Rs 25,000 with the firm after its agent came to his residence on March 31, 1997.

The agent said the company was offering monthly interest of 2 per cent. He suggested that Lt. Col. Uppal invest his money for 12 months. Lt.Col. Uppal gave a check of the TimesBank the same day.

The FIR said the agent gave him post-dated checks of the Synagogue Street branch of the Oriental Bank on April 3, 1997. The checks were deposited in his account at Indian Bank on March 31. The bank authorities refused to honour the checks as the signature did not tally with the signatures of the account holder on their records.

Lt.Col. Uppal contacted company officials who promised issue of fresh checks. However, the FIR says he never got new checks. He tried to encash the same checks on August 28. However, they were dishnoured.

On discovering the company had closed its Pune office, Lt. Col. Uppal approached deputy commissioner of police (crime) Ramrao Pawar and sought help. Inspector Patil and sub inspector Nadaf recorded Uppal’s FIR and lodged a case against the company on Thursday.