AEO, Cab Driver Arrested for Diverting Rythu Bima, Rythu Bandhu Funds

 Hyderabad: The Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Cyberabad arrested an Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO) from the Agiryal cluster and a cab driver for their involvement in 20 fake claims of Rythu Bima and diverting government funds to the tune of Rs 2 crore.

The accused have been identified as Goreti Srisailam, 41, the AEO posted in Kondurg Mandal in collusion with Odela Veera Swamy, 41, a cab driver, cheated the government by using Rythu Bima and Rythu Bandhu schemes police said adding that the officer also misappropriated the Rythu Bandhu scheme of 130 pattadars and non-claimants by diverting funds from 2019 till date.

The diversion of funds came to light after the district agriculture officer of Rangareddy district filed a complaint with the police indicating suspicion regarding 20 Rythu Bima claims related to Agiryal cluster in Kondurg mandal of Rangareddy district.

Upon verification of the complaint, it was discovered that Goreti Srisailam made 20 fraudulent claims amounting to Rs 1 crore under the Rythu Bima Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) scheme.

Cyberabad police commissioner Avinash Mohanty disclosed at a press conference that the case was transferred to the EOW for further investigation.

During the course of the investigation, the EOW team apprehended the accused on February 25, he said.

The commissioner explained that Goreti Srisailam 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 had multiple bank accounts in the name of another accused Odela Veera Swamy. He had opened bank accounts in Saidabad, Santoshnagar, Dilsuknagar and various other places in Hyderabad. The accused fraudulently claimed and availed Rythu Bandhu of 130 non-claimants and Pattadars. Goreti Srisailam, in collusion with Odelu Veera Swamy, defrauded the government amounts under Rythu Bima and Rythu Bandhu to the tune of Rs 2 crore,” he explained.

The EOW seized material objects and documentary evidence from the instance of the accused that included two mobile phones, debit cards, forged death certificates and LIC documents from Srisailam’s house.

During investigation, we found that Srisailam has withdrawn the amounts with the help of his accomplice and purchased properties of two acres and 35 guntas of agriculture land in Kondurg village, another eight acres and 20 guntas of agriculture land in Thummalapally village and also an open plot admeasuring 183 square yards in Kadthal village.

The commissioner appreciated the investigation done by A. Sreedhar, inspector, EOW, Cyberabad under the supervision of K. Prasad, DCP and other officers.

Both accused along with the seized property have been produced before court and remanded in judicial custody on Monday.