Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Bhubaneswar, on Friday arrested accused Bidyadhara Behera, former Regional Manager of M/s Varushapriya Agrotech Pvt Ltd, from Bhadrak for fraudulently using the company’s login ID and misappropriating a subsidy amount of Rs 5 crore extended by the government.
The arrest was made following an FIR lodged by KG Sree Charan, Director of M/s Varushapriya Agrotech Pvt Ltd in this connection. The EOW has registered a case (No.11 dt.01.09.2021) against Behera at the Bharatpur police station under Sections 409/420/468/471//120-B IPC, R/w Sec.66 (C) & 66 (D) of IT Act, 2000.
During the investigation, it was ascertained that M/s Varushapriya Agrotech Pvt. Ltd. is a Bangalore-based company having its branch office at Baramunda, Bhubaneswar, and was supplying paddy trans-planters to farmers across the country and also delivering services and supplies to the Odisha government under various subsidised schemes to promote agriculture.
Accused Bidyadhara Behera was earlier working as Regional Manager in the said company was authorised to register the sale of machinery in Odisha and facilitate subsidies to the beneficiaries/farmers by accessing the Government of Odisha (Agriculture Department) website www.agrisnetodisha.ori.nic.in. He was using the login id and password meant exclusively for M/s Varusapriya Agrotech Pvt Ltd. During the period 2017-21, the accused entered into a criminal conspiracy with other accused and fraudulently uploaded the details of more than 556 paddy trans-planters with fake engine and chassis numbers of machinery and names and photos of an equal number of farmers/beneficiaries in 18 districts of Odisha, purportedly showing issue/supply of those trans-planters to the said farmers.
Soon after the release/credit of subsidy amounts in the accounts of beneficiary farmers, the accused persons used to lure the beneficiaries by giving them some token amount and grabbing the subsidy amount. It has been learned that the cost of the trans-planter ranges from Rs 2.33 lakh to Rs 3 lakh and the government was releasing a subsidy amount ranging from Rs 93,320 to Rs 1.50 lakh for each machine.
It has been ascertained that out of the 556 paddy trans-planters, 46 trans-planters are shown to have been sold/supplied by Bidyadhara Behera, proprietor of Kalpana Motors, who was the authorised 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 beneficiaries/farmers in Bhadrak and Keonjhar districts.
