19 farmers cheated of Rs 47L in wheat procurement scam in Kutch

Rajkot: A wheat procurement scam in Kutch’s Abdasa taluka has left 19 farmers allegedly cheated of Rs 47 lakh, after traders reportedly vanished after initially making partial payments to gain trust.

The complaint, filed by 36-year-old farmer Jagdish Jadeja at Jakhau police station, names Ramesh Mujiram alias Ramji and local broker Bhagubha Jadeja as the accused.

According to the complaint, the duo purchased around 2.96 lakh kilograms of wheat worth nearly Rs 62 lakh from farmers across several villages between March 23 and April 10. To build confidence among the farmers, they initially paid about Rs 15 lakh in smaller instalments but later allegedly stopped payments, leaving over Rs 47 lakh outstanding.

The fraud came to light when Ramesh Mujiram, originally from Punjab and residing in Naliya village, suddenly became unreachable and his phone was found switched off. Investigators found that he had allegedly fled the area, leaving behind a locked residence and office.

While the broker, Bhagubha Jadeja, remains in the area, police said he has not provided any satisfactory explanation or repayment to the affected farmers.

Following police intervention, some farmers have reportedly recovered partial dues, but efforts are on to trace the main accused and recover the remaining amount.

A case has been registered under Sections 316(2), 318(4) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, pertaining to cheating and criminal breach of trust, along with provisions relating to criminal conspiracy.