Maharashtra: Grapes dealer held for cheating farmers of Rs 70 lakh

KOLHAPUR: The Tasgaon police arrested a grapes dealer on February 6 for cheating 14 farmers to the tune of Rs 70 lakh by purchasing grapes from them without paying them.
Police said that the cheating happened in 2010, adding that the suspect was nabbed from his native place in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
The arrested suspect has been identified as A. Ganeshan (41), a resident of Madurai.
Police said that a complaint in this regard was registered by Dinesh Madhavrao Pawar, a resident of Tasgaon, in 2010.
Police said that farmers usually grow fruits in their agricultural lands. When the fruit ripens, traders or middlemen visit the fields and offer deals to the farmers. Once the deal is sealed, they take fruits to the market for sale and then once all the fruits are sold, they pay the said amount to the farmers.
According to police, Dinesh had grown grapes on his 10-acre land in 2010. At the time, Ganeshan visited Tasgaon where he came in contact with Dinesh. The suspect sealed a deal with Dinesh and offered him a price more than other dealers. Realising that the price offered by Ganeshan was more what other dealers offered at the time, Dinesh convinced 13 more farmers. A total of 14 farmers sold their grapes worth Rs 70 lakh to Ganeshan.
“The suspect agreed to pay a certain amount to each farmer after selling the grapes in market. However, he later refused to clear the farmers’ dues. The farmers then contacted Dinesh who had to clear the dues of the farmers’ using his own funds,” said police.
Dinesh later rushed to the nearest police station and lodged a complaint against Ganeshan who was missing since then. However, he was recently arrested from his native place.
The suspect has been remanded in magisterial custody, said police.