Farmer duped of ₹85 lakh by veg exporter

PUNE A farmer has been duped of ₹85 lakh by a trader who exported his produce for three months but defaulted on the payment

PUNE A farmer has been duped of ₹85 lakh by a trader who exported his produce for three months but defaulted on the payment.

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The farmer from Moshi was identified as Sandeep Shankarrao Khandagale (47), a resident of Moshi Pradhikaran, Pune.

The accused trader was identified as a 63-year-old man from Shastrinagar in Yerawada, whose name is being withheld pending his arrest.

“The farmer sent produce like chillies, lemons, tomatoes for three months and the man was a middleman, who sold it outside the country, but did not pay for it,” said police inspector Shivaji Gawari of MIDC Bhosari police station.

The trade was done between September 18, 2019 and October 30, 2019, according to the complainant.

The accused man paid the farmer with a cheque that bounced due to insufficient funds.

The man then went back to the trader to ask for the money. The 63-year-old man, however, threatened to break his arms and legs, and also to kill him, according to his complaint.