The accused, along with his accomplice, cheated the government to the tune of ₹2 crore by manipulating the systems from 2019.
Published Feb 26, 2024 | 3:49 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 26, 2024 | 4:21 PM
Cyberabad CP Avinash Mohanty adressing the media. (Screengrab)
The Hyderabad police on Sunday, 25 February, arrested two persons — Goreti Srisailam, Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO) for Agriyal Cluster, Kondurg Mandal, and his accomplice Odela Veera Swamy, a cab driver by occupation. They were apprehended for diverting government funds in the Rythu Bhima and Rythu Bandhu schemes.
Addressing the media in Hyderabad on Monday, 26 February Avinash Mohanty IPS, Cyberabad Commissioner of Police, said that AEO Srisailam, along with his accomplice, had fraudulently claimed the Rythu Bhima funds of 20 people and the Rythu Bandhu funds of approximately 130 people.
The case, filed at Kondurg Police Station based on a complaint from a Rangareddy District Agriculture officer, was later transferred to the Economic Offences Wing, Cyberabad, for further investigation.
The investigation revealed that the accused, in collaboration with his accomplice, had deceived the government, manipulating systems and committing forgery to the tune of ₹2 crore from 2019 to the present.
Rythu Bhima is a government initiative aimed at providing insurance to the families of farmers in the event of the farmer’s death in unexpected situations. The deceased farmer should be below 59 years of age, and the family is entitled to ₹5 lakh from the government.
The Rythu Bandhu scheme provides farmers ₹5,000 per acre per season to support the farm investment, twice a year, for rabi (winter) and kharif (rainy) seasons.
Explaining how the diversion of funds was carried out, the police explained, “The AEO, whose job role is to be on the ground, is to help the farmers with respect to what crop they’ve put and such. Amidst this, he had built acquaintances with the farmers, and targetted unsuspecting people to use their Pattadar Passbook number to get their details, and eventually claim their funds.”
The police further added, “He would select NRIs or people who were away from the village and would not claim the benefits of the scheme for whatever reasons.”
When asked whether the people whose accounts were used didn’t know of the fraud, the police officer said, “When the farmers gave him their details to enrol them on the portals, instead of enrolling them, he used the details to forge documents and divert the funds.”
Following an investigation, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) officials seized significant evidence, including two mobile phones, seven nationalised bank debit cards, and five fake/forged death certificates and LIC documents from Srisailam’s residence.
The probe unveiled a web of deceit orchestrated by the accused, leading to the misappropriation of funds and the purchase of properties, including 2.35 acres of agricultural land in Kondurg and 8.20 acres in Thummalapally villages, as well as a 183 sq yards open plot in Kadthal village, all registered in the name of Srisailam’s wife, Maheshwari.
The case has been filed under the following sections of the Indian Penal Code:
The police commissioner added that further details will be known as the investigation proceeds.
