Vijayawada, May 15, 2026 – Officials from the AgriGold Customers and Agents Welfare Association met with a government financial advisor on Friday, conveying thanks for a cabinet decision that promises to deliver justice to victims of the AgriGold scam within a six-month timeframe. This pronouncement follows years of persistent struggle and protest by those defrauded by the financial scheme. The core assurance now centers on a definitive timeline, a significant development after prolonged delays.
Earlier this year, in February 2025, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) returned attached properties valued at approximately ₹3,339 crore to victims of the AgriGold Ponzi scheme, a scam that reportedly ensnared over 32 lakh investors. This move was followed by court approval in March 2025 for the release of an additional ₹3,300 crore in assets, with a specific allocation of ₹650 crore set aside for depositors owed sums under ₹20,000. This particular disbursement was slated to benefit around 3.6 lakh individuals. The total number of victims across India was cited as approximately 38 lakh, with 18.52 lakh in Andhra Pradesh alone.
Read More: ChatGPT Pro users can link bank accounts, privacy concerns grow
However, the path to resolution has been fraught with challenges. Victims have previously staged large-scale protests, including a planned "cooking protest" in December 2025, to pressure authorities for swifter action. During these demonstrations, association leaders pointed to protracted legal battles initiated by the company's management as a means to obstruct asset auctions. A consistent demand from victim groups has been the establishment of a fast-track court, a plea that has reportedly met with no substantive response until this recent cabinet decision. Partial relief, amounting to payments of ₹10,000 and ₹20,000 to about 10.43 lakh small depositors, had been distributed earlier, a result of what the association described as "relentless struggles over the past 12 years."
The AgriGold scandal, which involves an estimated ₹6,380 crore in alleged fraud, has a history stretching back well before 2019. In February 2019, the Andhra Pradesh government had promised ₹250 crore, with assurances of ₹1,100 crore if voted into power. At that time, political discourse highlighted accusations of delayed property auctions. The total value of attached properties during the investigation by the central agency stood at around ₹4,141.2 crore, with the current market value of these assets estimated to exceed ₹6,000 crore.
Read More: New Income Tax Act 2025 Aims for Simpler Forms from April 1
The restitution efforts, though substantial, have been piecemeal. The ED has previously returned assets worth over ₹26,000 crore in numerous other cases, facilitating payouts through banking channels. The AgriGold situation represents one facet of these broader restitution efforts, now purportedly entering a final phase with the government's six-month pledge.