RR District: Govt officer fakes Rythu Bhima, Rythu Bandu claims, siphons Rs 2 crores; held

Hyderabad: Cyberabad police arrested two persons accused of diverting State Government funds for Rythu Bhima and Rythu Bandu schemes in Hyderabad.

The accused have been identified as Goreti Srisailam, AEO for Agriyal Cluster, Kondurg Mandal in Ranga Reddy District and Odela Veera Swamy, a cab driver. Goreti Srisailam, in collusion with Veera Swamy, frauded the government using Rythu Bima and Rythu Bandu schemes to the tune of Rs 2 crores approximately.

20 claims were faked

According to a complaint by the district agriculture officer of RR District, the police were informed that 20 claims of Rythu Bhima about the Agiryal cluster were found suspicious.

On verification, the complainant came to know that Goreti Srisailam, agriculture extension officer (AEO) was involved in 20 fake claims of LIC earnings under Rythu Bhima to the tune of Rs 1 crore and misappropriated Rythu Bandu scheme funds using 130 fake pattadars and non-claimants the scheme and diverted funds to a tune of Rs 1 crore from 2019 to till date. The complaint requested legal action against G Srisailam and others immediately.

Based on the complaint, the SHO Kondurg PS registered a case under sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, and 477-A IPC and started an investigation.

Modus operandi

Goreti Srisailam, working as an agriculture extension officer in the Agiryal Cluster of Kondurg Mandal, RR District since 2017.

To divert government amounts/funds allotted for Rythu Bhima and Rythu Bandu schemes he would use the names of people who gave their names for enrolment. He collected information from CCLA through the Rythu Bhima portal using the Pattadar Pass Book (PPB number) and submitted fake claims of those who were not eligible for reasons such as exceeding 60 years of age, deceased, and who didn’t have land and so on and cheated of Rs 1 crore.

The accused has made entries in CCLA through the Rythu Bhima portal by using a fake name, and Aadhaar number instead of the original pattadar name and their Aadhaar number as per CCLA. The CCLA office sends pattadar details every year to the agriculture officer through the Rythu Bhima portal to enable the scheme after proper verification.

After submitting the enrolment process, the accused applied for the amount by submitting a known nominee name, nominee's bank account number including forged/fake death certificates and facilitated the deposit of the insurance amount in nine bank accounts.

Similarly, the accused used to collect non-residents, non-claimants and pattadars of the Rythu Bandu scheme from CCLA through the Rythu Bandu portal by using PPB number and applying on behalf of them by collecting Aadhaar cards and the first page of bank passbook details to edit the bank account number.

He has multiple bank accounts under the name of Veera Swamy. He has opened bank accounts in Saidabad, Santoshnagar, Dilsuknagar and various places across Hyderabad. So far Goreti had claimed and availed Rythu Bandu of 130 non-claimants and Pattadars.

The EOW officials also seized two mobile phones, seven nationalised bank debit cards, five fake and forged death certificates and LIC documents from Goreti’s home.

Using the funds he siphoned, he purchased farming land in Kondurg and Thummalapally villages, and an open plot in Kadthal village. All the properties were purchased in the name of AEO’s wife Maheshwari.