Bhubaneswar, Feb. 6 -- In a major relief to thousands of chit fund scam victims, the Odisha government has extended the deadline for the refund of deposits till March 31, allowing affected investors additional time to apply for the return of their money.

Earlier, the refund process was scheduled to conclude on January 31. However, the State government has now extended the deadline by two months to ensure wider coverage, particularly for small depositors.

Official sources said the ongoing refund exercise is currently benefiting around 8,000 to 10,000 small depositors across the State. Victims of chit fund fraud can apply for refunds by submitting the required documents and proof of investment to the concerned local Revenue Inspector (RI)...