The district police are conducting an investigation after registering a case on a complaint of scores of farmers from Balangir that they were cheated of Rs4 crore by a cotton mill agent based in Sundargarh.
According to the victim farmers, agent of Ashoka Multiyarn Mills limited based at Kirei in Sundargarh Rabindra Joshi had made a deal with the 486 farmers in Belpada area of Balangir district of paying Rs4,100 per quintal of cotton and asked the farmers to deposit their cotton at Om Organic limited at Kantabanji.
The farmers deposited there cotton at Om Organic limited. Agent Joshi, however, fled the area with the cotton worth over Rs4 crore without making payments.
When the farmers demanded the money from Om Organic limited, where they had stored the cotton, they were told that after Joshi makes payment, they would be paid. Meanwhile, days passed off, but there was no question of payment to the farmers.
The farmers then came all the way to the Ashoka Multiyarn Mills at Sundargarh and demanded their dues from Joshi.
Joshi told them that they would be paid but later did not pay on one count or the other.
Finally, the victim farmers met Sundargarh Superintendent of Police R Prakash and apprised him about their plight. The SP directed the Sadar police to register a case.
Meanwhile, the Sadar police sealed the bank accounts of Ashoka Multiyarn. According to sources, the owners of the cotton mill have been identified as Mayank Patodia and Pawan Patodia who hail from Kolkata.
Sundargarh police are further investigating the case and are contemplating to shift the case to Kantabanji police station at Balangir since the cheating had taken place in Kantabaji area.
"After receiving their FIR, we have registered a case. We have sealed the bank accounts of Ashoka Multiyarn Mill. Our further investigation is on. Since the incident occurred in Kantabanji area at Balangir, we will shift the case to Kantabanji police station for their further action,” said Sadar Police station IIC GR Mohapatra.