Roorke: In 2021, a large-scale fraud involving the Iqbalpur Sugar Mill in Jhabrera police station area came to light, where fake loan applications were allegedly filed in the names of farmers to obtain loans from Punjab National Bank (PNB). This fraudulent scheme reportedly ran from 2008 to 2020 and involved over ₹36.5 crore. Farmers became aware of this deception upon receiving bank notices, which led to a formal complaint.
The case implicated key individuals, including the then cane manager Pawan Dhingra, account manager Umesh Sharma, and PNB’s Iqbalpur branch manager, Baru Singh Rawat, among others. These figures allegedly created fraudulent documents to secure substantial loans, bypassing proper legal procedures.
Due to the scale and complexity of the case, a detailed inquiry was conducted. On Sunday, police arrested Dhingra and Sharma, presenting them in court and sending them to jail. Meanwhile, the former bank manager Rawat, who had recently retired, remained at large until his arrest on Monday in Dehradun. Following his apprehension, he was also brought before the court and jailed. The police are still in pursuit of two other suspects involved in this scheme, and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pramod Dobal has assured that efforts to apprehend them are ongoing.
This case has underscored significant lapses in oversight and regulatory mechanisms within the financial and agricultural loan sectors, sparking wider calls for stronger safeguards to protect farmers from such exploitation.