A junior clerk of the agriculture department posted in Gajapati district, Odisha, has misappropriated over ₹2 crore in the name of providing tractors and paddy thrashers to farmers.
The clerk, Somanath Mohanty, was arrested by the personnel of Paralakhemundi police station. His bail plea was rejected by court. He is alleged to have misappropriated an amount of ₹2.20 crore.
According to the police, the accused cheated 32 farmers and a paddy thrasher dealer in Berhampur. Mohanty misappropriated the money in 2015-16, the police said. His racket had come to the fore when some farmers and the paddy thrasher dealer filed complaints against him. He had absconded to escape arrest. A police team of Gajapati district tracked him down in Bhubaneswar.
Speaking to The Hindu , Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Paralakhemundi Utkal Ranjan Dash said the arrested person had also used a forged letter in the name of Project Administrator (PA), Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Gajapati district.
Mohanty had managed to motivate 32 farmers to buy tractors. Every farmer handed over ₹6 lakh to him. He misappropriated the ₹1.92 crore collected from them. Using fake documents in the name of these farmers, he arranged loans from banks to buy tractors. The tractors were handed over to the farmers. The 32 peasants realised that they had been conned when banks sent loan repayment notices to them.
“He had procured 14 paddy thrashers worth ₹28 lakh from the dealer in Berhampur by using a forged letter that seemed to be written on the letter pad of PA-ITDA of Gajapati district,” said Mr. Dash. The forged letter stated that the PA-ITDA was in immediate need of 14 paddy thrashers that were to be distributed during a visit by the Chief Minister. The dealer delivered the paddy thrashers — each costing ₹2 lakh — to the clerk. It is alleged that Mohanty sold the paddy thrashers and swindled the money.
