During the year 2000, Mumbai based famous “Skumars” group launched a new company namely "Skumars.com Ltd." (now known as "Skumars Online Ltd."). In March 2000, they had floated a series of advertisements all over India offering a lucrative e-commerce business. The company flashed it's planned project to be highly rewarding, promised a monthly income of over Rs.20,000/-, showed big dreams, talked about various plans, made dozens of promises.

Lured by their offer and keeping faith in their big and reputed name, more then one lakh people from all over India applied with a fee for getting its SBA / Franchiseeship. Thereafter, the company sent formal appointment letters appointing many as SBAs / Franchisees. Most of the Franchisees managed to pay Rs.2.00 lacs (SBAs paid much more) through either loans or mortgages or investing their hard earned savings of the lifetime. This way, the company collected over Rs.250.00 crores in the name of this proposed business first through applications, then by appointing SBAs / Franchisees, etc.

But after collecting the money, the company did not materialize any of its promised plans and their business never started. Their deceitful intentions became more evident when the company and its officials never bothered to satisfy the questions / plans from its Franchisees / SBAs and instead tried to evade even the necessary compliances. The company did not even hesitate in using a Top Rank Retired Military Personnel to collect money for this fraudulent cause. They appointed him to fool the public and thus made a mockery of the people’s faith in them.

Realizing that the company has cheated them, SBAs & Franchisees asked the company to return their invested money. But instead of returning their money, the company blamed them for the failure of the project and compelled them to part off with their investments in some or the other way.

In their individual efforts to get back the hard earned money from the company, the Franchisees & SBAs approached almost all concerned ministries, C.B.I., media and all possible forums, but in vain. They also came across a group who claimed to have taken collective legal initiatives against the company’s fraud. But here again, that group also emerged as a fraud and duped the Franchisees / SBAs further with money in the name of these legal initiatives.

Infact in today's times, making money by such deceitful means is not very difficult for big names like Skumars. The target has to be common man because with the power of money, politics, media & higher authorities behind these big names, the common man will never be able to fight against such frauds. Even if one tries to resort to the judicial systems, he will require a considerable amount to be spent in advance that again is not possible for the common man.

So, in any such fraud by big names backed by money and muscle power, will the common man be left to lose and suffer????????

If NO then now there is a strong need to form such platforms where the common man can get true support of NGOs, lawyers, media, etc. to fight for their rights, to fight against such frauds and get justice for themselves.

NGOs, Dignitaries, Lawyers, Media, Intellectuals, whosoever can contribute selflessly, should come forward in strengthening such platforms and extend their best support for such causes. Active participation of top Solicitors and Advocates would also help such platforms to seek redressal and legal recourse.

Hope, this appeal will surely bring in a new hope for the helpless common man who has been victimized by such cheats and hence needs your bonafide support. Lets start with fighting against Skumars.

Rameshwar Rathi

Email: rathi.rameshwar@gmail.com