
A case of fraud has been registered against the branch manager, field officer, and a dealer of a combine harvester company linked to the State Bank of India (SBI) Darhata branch under Chowk police station. The case was filed after a complaint by Tarachand, a resident of Khajuria village, at the Chief Minister’s Janata Darbar.
The Complaint
Tarachand, in his written complaint, stated that he approached the SBI Darhata branch in February 2023 to secure a loan for purchasing a combine harvester. He met branch manager Ravi Maurya and field officer Alok Ram, who guided him to contact Sannu, a dealer from Khajuri in Ballia district, associated with Nabha Punjab Agro.
Sannu assured Tarachand that he would provide a Samrat 510 model combine harvester. Following this, Tarachand made several payments:
- February 2023: ₹11,000 and ₹5,000 were transferred to the company’s account.
- June 19, 2023: ₹9,21,509 was paid in cash.
- July 18, 2023: ₹1,500 was handed over.
Loan Process and Alleged Fraud
The bank manager later informed Tarachand that the margin money had been received and a loan of ₹17 lakh was sanctioned. On November 9, 2023, ₹17 lakh was credited to Tarachand’s account and subsequently transferred to the company’s account via RTGS.
Sannu then demanded additional payments for sending the combine harvester and completing paperwork, amounting to ₹90,000, ₹50,000, and ₹15,000. Despite these payments, the combine harvester was not delivered.
Tarachand discovered discrepancies when the bank started deducting loan repayments from his account and even debited funds from his son’s account. Upon further inquiry, he found that ₹28.85 lakh had been allegedly misappropriated by the bank manager, field officer, and dealer without proper margin money.
Efforts to Resolve the Issue
When Tarachand confronted the bank manager, he was taken to the dealer’s house, where ₹1 lakh was returned. Sannu also provided a letter stating that the loan amount would be refunded to the original account, but no further action was taken.
Police and Government Intervention
Tarachand initially filed a complaint at the police station in September 2024, but no case was registered. After multiple failed attempts to get justice, he presented his case at the Chief Minister’s Janata Darbar on January 10, 2025. Following this, the police registered a case and initiated an investigation. More details will be released upon investigation.