Three held for duping farmers in Mancherial

Their cheating was exposed when a farmer, Boddu Shekhar from Karnamamidi in Dandepalli lodged a complaint with police.

Mancherial: Three persons were arrested on the charges of duping farmers under the guise of providing tractors at subsidized prices. They were produced before pressmen here on Saturday. A car and three mobile phones were seized from them.

Mancherial ACP R Prakash said that Chandramouli from Chandravelli in Bellampalli mandal, Rathnam Srikanth and Golam Kartheek alias Hanumanth of Bellampalli were apprehended for allegedly cheating approximately 88 farmers belonging to the district by collecting Rs 2.76 crore under the pretext of selling tractors at discounted rates. Punna Kumara Swamy, chairman of a company through which the farmers were cheated was absconding.

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On being interrogated, the three confessed to committing the crime to lead a lavish lifestyle for quite a long time. They admitted to floating an agency titled NAPS, affiliated to Bharat Kishan Welfare Organisation at Janmabhuminagar in Mancherial town.

They revealed that they lured the farmers by promising to offer a 50 percent discount on the prices of the tractors.

Their cheating was exposed when a farmer, Boddu Shekhar from Karnamamidi in Dandepalli lodged a complaint with police.

Mancherial Inspector R Bansilal and Sub-Inspector Sanath Reddy were present.