A farmer from the Simrol area of Mhow tehsil has allegedly been defrauded of more than Rs 8.6 lakh by three individuals who posed as onion traders. The accused took away nearly 70 tons of onions after presenting forged identity and mandi license documents.
Police Investigation Underway
Based on a complaint lodged by the farmer, the Simrol police have registered a case under Section 316(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and have initiated a search for the suspects. Station House Officer Kuldeep Khatri provided details of the incident.
How the Fraud Occurred
Leeladhar Silwadiya, a 51-year-old resident of Datoda village, had harvested his onion crop and stored it at his residence. Last month, three men approached him, introducing themselves as onion and garlic traders. They presented Aadhaar cards and mandi licenses, convincing the farmer of their authenticity.
A deal was finalized, and Leeladhar arranged 1,408 bags of onions, each weighing 50 kilograms, sourced from his own produce as well as from five other farmers. The total value of the onions was Rs 8.63 lakh. The onions were loaded onto a truck brought by the trio. One of the accused assured the farmer that the payment would be transferred to his bank account the following day.
Discovery of Fraud
After waiting for nearly a week without receiving any payment, the farmer decided to verify the documents provided by the buyers. Upon checking, he discovered that both the Aadhaar cards and mandi licenses were fake. Realizing he had been cheated, he approached the police to file a complaint.
The police are now searching for the accused individuals. Authorities have urged other farmers to remain vigilant and verify the credentials of buyers before entering into transactions.
