Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing of Odisha Crime Branch has arrested one more dealer of Annapurna Agro International Pvt Ltd in connection with the Rs 12 crore argo-equipment subsidy fraud case.
EOW source in Bhubaneswar Tuesday said Chautura Deep, Proprietor of M/s KBK Deep Agro Sales, a registered dealer of Annapurna Agro International Pvt Ltd Balasore was arrested in April.
The accused was later produced before SDJM, Bhubaneswar Tuesday. Earlier Pradeep Kumar Acharya, MD of M/s Annapurna Agro International Pvt Ltd and his two dealers —Prabha Ranjan Dash and Shaik Fayaz were arrested and forwarded in this case.
A case has been registered by EOW on the commission of fraud by the MD of M/s Annapurna Agro International Pvt Ltd in conspiracy with its dealers in misappropriating the government subsidy meant for the farmers on purchase of agro equipment.
The accused have misappropriated approximately Rs.12 crores by manufacturing and using forged documents. The company managed to avail subsidy amount to the tune of crores under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme and the amount was misappropriated by the manufacturing farm and its dealers during 2016-17 to 2019-20.
Chatura has fraudulently been shown to have sold 487 agro equipment involving a subsidy of approximately Rs 3.54 crores which has been misappropriated by the MD of the manufacturing firm and the accused dealer.
During the investigation, it was found that before the subsidy amount was credited to the account of the farmer, the accused persons, in some cases, collected the advance cheques from the beneficiaries under allurement to withdraw the total subsidy amount.
They used to take away major subsidy amounts from the beneficiaries fraudulently by paying some meagre amount to the farmers.
UNI