Gadchiroli April 19 (District Correspondent) Kurkheda Police have arrested two employees of the Tribal Development Corporation in connection with paddy procurement scam at Deulgaon Paddy Procurement Centre. They, along with others, have been accused of making an embezzlement of Rs 3,96,65,965 in the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25.
An inquiry was ordered by the Regional Manager, Gadchiroli, in the paddy procurement centre at Deulgaon under the Sub-Regional Office, Kurkheda, during the procurement seasons 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. In the said inquiry, it was found that a total of 19860.40 quintals of paddy was purchased at the paddy procurement centre at Deulgaon during the season 2023-2024. Out of this, 15916.32 quintals of paddy was actually sent for packing and a discrepancy was found in the remaining 3944.08 quintals of paddy and also in the number of old bags used once, resulting in a total amount of embezzlement of Rs. 1,53,93,980.
Along with this, when the purchased paddy was checked in the year 2024-2025, a total of 17262.40 quintals of paddy was purchased. Out of this, 11122.40 quintals of paddy was actually found at the purchase centre and a discrepancy was found in the remaining 6140.00 quintals of paddy and also in the number of old bags used once, resulting in a total amount of embezzlement of Rs. 2,42,72,885.
Thus, the investigation revealed that a total amount of Rs. 3,96,65,965 was embezzled in both the financial years of 2023-24 and 2024-25.
As per a written complaint lodged by Deputy Regional Manager of Armori TDC Himmatrao Sonawane today with the Police Station Kurkheda, Deputy Regional Manager, Kurkheda Muralidhar Shankar Bavne, In-charge Marketing Inspector and Grader Chandrakant Dnyaneshwar Kasarkar, Marketing Inspector and Grader Hitesh V. Pendam, Secretary Mahendra Istariji Meshram and 13 other President-Vice President and Board of Directors of the Tribal Cooperative Societies Deulgaon have failed in the duties and responsibilities of their posts,
On the basis of this complaint a case has been registered under Sections 316 (5), 318 (4), 3 (5) of the IPC.
As soon as the case was registered, the Gadchiroli Police intensified the investigation and arrested the accused Chandrakant Dnyaneshwar Kasarkar, (39), In-charge Marketing Inspector and Grader, Tribal Cooperative Society, Deulgao, a resident of Lahan Godhani, Po. Juna Umarsara, Tah. and Dist. Yavatmal and Hitesh V. Pendam (35), Marketing Inspector and Grader, resident of Armori and they have been produced before the Judicial Magistrate, Kurkheda. The search for the other accused in the said crime is on and further investigation of the crime is being conducted by Police Inspector Mahendra Wagh Police Station, Kurkheda.
The said action was carried out by the Officer-in-Charge Kurkheda, Mahendra Wagh and the officials of Police Station, Kurkheda under the guidance of Superintendent of Police Mr. Nilotpal, Additional SP (Operations) Yatish Deshmukh, SDPO Kurkheda Ravindra Bhosle.
