As many as 40 persons, including depositors and agents of Agri Gold Projects Limited, were detained by the Panjagutta police on Tuesday, when they staged a protest in front of the company’s office demanding repayment of their money. The protestors alleged that the company had failed to pay back their money on maturity of their term deposits under various schemes. The cheques issued by the company in 2014 to depositors reportedly bounced.

Hundreds of customers of Agri Gold Finance Company, holding placards, staged protests and demanded the government to take action and render justice to them. They demanded a CBI probe into the scandal, stating that the firm had collected about Rs 7,000 crore from hundreds of people. The company is facing allegations that it had cheated customers not only from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, but also those from Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

The victims urged the State governments to initiate steps and seize the assets of company. On Monday, victims of the company staged a mammoth dharna at its office in Vijayawada too.