Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Bhubaneswar has arrested an accused from Bhadrak on the charges of misappropriating government subsidies in agricultural equipment.
The accused Bidyadhara Behera is being forwarded to the Court of SDJM, Bhubaneswar today in EOW PS Case No.11 dt.01.09.2021 u/s 409/420/468/471//120-B IPC, R/w Sec.66 (C) & 66 (D) of IT Act, 2000, the EOW said.
EOW, Bhubaneswar investigated the case by taking over Bharatpur PS Case No.24 dt.20.01.2021 registered on the basis of a complaint filed by K.G. Sree Charan, Director of M/s Varushapriya Agrotech Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore. It has been alleged in the FIR that one Srinath Rana, who was earlier working as Regional Manager with the said company, by fraudulently using the company’s login ID misappropriated subsidy amount of Rs.5 Crores extended by the Govt. and thereby cheated the Govt. as well as the petitioner.
According to EOW, it has been ascertained during the investigation that M/s Varushapriya Agrotech Pvt. Ltd. is a Bangalore-based company having its branch office at Baramunda, Bhubaneswar, was dealing with the business of supplying paddy trans-planters to the farmers across the country and also delivering services and supplies to Odisha Govt. under various subsidized schemes in order to promote agriculture.
Accused Srinath Rana, who was earlier working as Regional Manager in the said company was authorized to register the sale of machineries in the State of Odisha and to facilitate subsidies to the beneficiaries/farmers by accessing the Govt. of Odisha (Agriculture Dept.) website www.agrisnetodisha.ori.nic.in by using the login id and password meant exclusively for M/s Varusapriya Agrotech Pvt. Ltd. company.
It has also been learnt that during the period from 2017-21, accused Srinath Rana, Proprietor of M/s Tarini Auto Agency, Balasore, who was also the authorized dealer of M/s Varushapriya Agrotech Pvt. Ltd. in the capacity of Regional Manager of the complainant farm, without the knowledge of the complainant farm, entered into criminal conspiracy with the present accused Bidyadhara Behera, proprietor of Kalpana Motors, Charampa, Bhadrak and others had fraudulently uploaded the details of more than 556 paddy trans-planters with fake engine and chassis number of machineries (shown supplied/sold by their agencies) and names and photos of equal number of farmers/beneficiaries covering 18 districts of Odisha, purportedly showing issue/supply of those trans-planters to the said farmers, in the above mentioned DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) portal of Agriculture Dept. of Govt. of Odisha and against that managed to get release of subsidy amount to the tune of about Rs.7.16 Cr. in favour of the farmers/beneficiaries by the Govt.
Soon after the release/credit of subsidy amounts in accounts of beneficiary farmers, the accused persons in criminal conspiracy with others used to lure the beneficiaries by giving them some token amount and was grabbing the subsidy amount. It has been learnt that the cost of the trans-planter ranges from Rs.2.33 Lakh to Rs3 Lakh approx. and against each machinery, Govt. was releasing subsidy amount ranging from Rs.93,320/- to Rs.1.50 Lakh.
It has been ascertained that out of the above mentioned 556 paddy trans-planters, 46 trans-planters are shown to have sold/supplied by Bidyadhara Behera, proprietor of Kalpana Motors, who was the authorized dealer of M/s Varushapriya Agrotech Pvt. Ltd. and the present accused in criminal conspiracy with main accused Srinath Rana had provided fake engine and chassis number of 46 trans-planters shown issued in favour of equal number of beneficiaries/farmers of Bhadrak and Keonjhar Districts.
Against supply of those specific 46 trans-planter, subsidy amount to the tune of about Rs.67 Lakhs was released in favour of the farmers/beneficiaries by the Govt. Thus, the accused Srinath Rana in criminal conspiracy with present accused Bidyadhara Behera and others by adopting the above modus operandi has cheated the complainant company as well as Govt. of Odisha and misappropriated the subsidy amount of Rs.7.16 Cr. approx.
Earlier, four accused persons have been arrested including main accused Srinath Rana in this case and forwarded to Court. Investigation of the case is continuing, the EOW said in a press note.
