Cyberabad Police nabs AEO, cab driver for diverting Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima funds

HYDERABAD: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Cyberabad Police has apprehended two individuals on the charges of misappropriating government funds allocated for the Rythu Bima and Rythu Bandhu schemes.

The investigation was initiated when the Ranga Reddy District Agriculture officer raised suspicion on 20 claims of Rythu Bima pertaining to the Agiryal cluster, Kondurg Mandal, of Ranga Reddy. Based on the complaint, the Kondurg police registered a case in Cr. No. 25/2024 u/s 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, 477-A IPC.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Goreti Srisailam, Agriculture Extension officer (AEO), Agiryal cluster, Kondurg Mandal, Ranga Reddy District, was involved in 20 fake claims of LIC amount under Rythu Bima to the tune of Rs 1 crore.

He was found to have misappropriated the Rythu Bandhu Scheme by diverting funds to the tune of Rs 1 crore from 2019 till date by enrolling 130 fake pattadars and non-claimants of the Rythu Bandhu Scheme.

Cyberabad Police Commissioner Avinash Mohanty disclosed at a press conference that the case was transferred to the Economic Offences Wing for further investigation. During the course of the investigation, the EOW team apprehended the accused on February 25., he said.

The Cyberabad Commissioner explained that Goreti Srisailam, the AEO, had tricked to avail government funds under Rythu Bima and Rythu Bandhu. He had enrolled names of persons known to him under the Rythu Bima scheme and collected information from CCLA through the Rythu Bima portal using the Pattadar Pass Book (PPB) number, yearly and submitted fake claims of insurance of about 20 members who were not eligible, such as those exceeding the age of 60 years, those who had already died, and those who did not have land. He cheated the government to the tune of Rs 1 crore.

The accused made entries in CCLA through the Rythu Bima portal by using a fake names and Aadhar numbers instead of the original Pattadar name and their Aadhar number as per CCLA.

The CCLA office sent pattadar details every year to the Agriculture Officer through the Rythu Bima portal to enable the scheme after proper verification.

After submitting the enrolment process, the accused applied for a death claim by submitting his known nominee name and nominee bank account numbers, including forged/fake death certificates and facilitated the deposit of insurance amount in nine bank accounts of Goreti Srisailam at choice.

Similarly, the accused collected non-residents, non-claimants and pattadars of the Rythu Bandhu scheme from CCLA through the Rythu Bandhu Portal using a pattadar passbook number and applied on behalf of them by collecting Aadhar cards and first page of bank passbook details to edit the bank account number. He had multiple bank accounts on the name of another accused Odela Veera Swamy, a cab driver. He had opened bank accounts Saidabad, Santoshnagar, Dilsuknagar, and various places across Hyderabad. The accused fraudulently claimed and availed Rythu Bandhu of 130 non-claimants and Pattadars. Thus, Goreti Srisailam, in collusion with Odelu Veera Swamy, defrauded the government amounts under Rythu Bima and Rythu Bandhu to the tune of Rs 2 crores approximately.

The EOW officials seized material objects and documentary evidence from the instance of the accused, i.e., two mobile phones, seven debit cards from nationalised banks, fake and forged death certificates, and five LIC documents from the house of the main accused, Srisailam, disclosed the commissioner. Investigation revealed that the accused hatched a plan to divert the Rythu Bima and Rythu Bandhu scheme and collected data from CCLA through the Rythu Bima and Rythu Bandhu portal. The accused claimed 20 fake claims from LIC and also cheated 130 Non-Claimants of pattadars and diverted Rythu Bandu funds to the tune of Rs 1 crore to the bank accounts of the accused and AEO’s wife. The AEO drew the amounts with the help of his accomplice and purchased properties, i.e., Acres 2.35 guntas of Agriculture land in Kondurg Village, Acres 8.20 guntas of Agriculture land in Thummalapally village, and also an open plot admeasuring 183 Square yards in Kadthal village. All the properties were purchased in the name of AEO’s wife, Maheshwari.

EOW Inspector A. Sreedhar is investigating the case under the supervision of Cyberabad DCP EOW K. Prasad.