Crime Branch of the Nagpur Rural Police has launched a probe into the complaints filed by a group of farmers in Maharashtra who have received bank notices for loan recoveries of Rs 40 to Rs 50 lakh each even though they have claimed not to have taken any loan.

According to the Times Of India, the police said that 11 farmers have lodged complaints with the Jalalkheda Police station stating that they have received loan recovery notices from a public sector bank. Reportedly, the farmers who belong to the Sinzar village in Narkhed tehsil of Nagpur district in Maharashtra have not taken any loans from a public sector bank in the recent times.

Maharashtra farmers allegedly duped

Reportedly, one of the farmers, Prakash Gaikwad said that his family had received a notice for non-payment of instalments for a loan worth Rs 50 lakh, a few days ago. He along with other farmers suspect a man who had allegedly procured documents from them on the pretext of using them for registration in some government scheme. Even though the man remains unidentified, the farmers are of the opinion that the person might have misused those documents and also forged signatures to secure loans from banks on the behalf of the farmers.

Inspector G R Tamtetold PTI, “Considering the seriousness of the issue, the department has asked the local Crime Branch to inquire into the matter.” Whereas, Sanjay Purandare, Inspector, Nagpur Rural Crime Branch, said, “We have started the inquiry into the complaints received from the farmers of Sinzar village.”

He further added, “We will be probing all the stages involved in securing a bank loan like application process and verification of documents. All relevant information will be sought from the bank during the inquiry.” It is only after a thorough investigation that the police can determine whether a middleman was involved in the case or not.

In a reply to Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil said in the assembly in December 2017, “the number of farmers, who committed suicide from 2001 to October 2017 is 26,339. Of them, 12,805 farmers killed themselves due to unproductive land, indebtedness and insistence on repayment of loan.” More farmers in the state have lost their lives in 2018 as well. In such a situation, a group of farmers receiving recovery loan notices worth lakhs of Rupees which they have not even taken is deplorable.

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