Rs 6-crore paddy scam: Three arrested, Rs 7 lakh cash seized
Nearly three years after a Rs 6-crore paddy procurement scam surfaced in Fatehabad district, investigators have made their first significant arrests. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has recovered Rs 7 lakh in cash during the interrogation of two accused currently in police remand.
Fraud under ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora’ scheme
– The trio fraudulently used the names, Aadhaar numbers, and bank accounts of people who did not own land to register bogus paddy crops
– They registered land in the names of unsuspecting people and sold paddy to government procurement agencies at MSP
– During verification, many of the plots were found to have kinnow orchards, other crops, or no cultivation at all
On Friday, the EOW arrested Balihar Singh of Ratia, Kewal Singh of Nanheri, and Bhupinder Singh of Burj for their alleged role in large-scale fraud under the “Meri Fasal Mera Byora” scheme during the 2020 kharif season.
Inspector Sandeep, incharge of the Economic Cell, said the trio fraudulently used the names, Aadhaar numbers, and bank accounts of people who did not own land to register bogus paddy crops.
“They registered land in the names of unsuspecting people and sold paddy to government procurement agencies at MSP. During verification, many of the plots were found to have kinnow orchards, other crops, or no cultivation at all,” he said.
The accused allegedly worked with insiders in government departments, including the Food and Supplies Department, Market Committees in Ratia and Dharsul Kalan, and the Haryana State Warehousing Corporation, all of whom are under investigation.
The scam came to light when several real landowners — Devi Lal (Abubshahar, Sirsa), Mahavir (Bhodia Khera, Fatehabad), Pyara Singh (Sirsa), and Sheela (Jind) — discovered that their land had been illegally used for paddy registration. They complained to the Chief Minister’s Flying Squad, triggering a probe.
According to police, the fraud was not limited to fake crop entries. “The accused also bought cheaper paddy from neighbouring states and passed it off as local produce. They sold it at MSP in Haryana, pocketing huge profits and causing substantial losses to the state exchequer,” Inspector Sandeep said.
An FIR registered in 2022, based on a complaint by Squad Officer Rajesh Kumar, named 26 people, including rice mill owners and private company operators. The accused face charges under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 409 and 120-B of the IPC.
While Bhupinder Singh has been sent to judicial custody, Balihar Singh and Kewal Singh remain in police remand.
Superintendent of Police Siddhant Jain said the cash recovery was based on disclosures made during interrogation.
“We recovered Rs 2 lakh from Balihar Singh and Rs 5 lakh from Kewal Singh. The Rs 7 lakh has been seized as evidence, and further legal action is underway,” he said.
Jain added that the interrogation has revealed key details about the fraud’s planning and execution. Investigators are now examining bank transactions, mobile phone data, and other documents to trace the money trail.
Haryana Tribune