181 booked for PM Kisan Scheme fraud in Nashik
While the nationality of the accused is yet to be verified amid allegations of they being Bangladeshis, police are investigating banking and government records
The Nashik Rural Police have lodged an FIR against 181 persons in Bhadwan village, Kalwan tehsil, for allegedly fraudulently registering as beneficiaries of the PM Kisan Scheme. The accused collectively siphoned off ₹2.98 lakh under the scheme between August 26, 2020, and November 3, 2022.
Minal Mhaske, agriculture officer, Kalwan tehsil, who lodged the FIR, said 181 individuals were found to have defrauded the government following a verification process. “We lodged an FIR against them with the Nashik police on March 26,” she said.
The police have invoked IPC Sections 417 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for cheating), and Section 66D of the IT Act.
Kirankumar Suryavanshi, Kalwan sub-divisional police officer, said, “Prima facie, this appears to be a case of cheating and cyber fraud. The accused submitted account details and completed KYC compliance within a minute for all 181 beneficiaries, which raises suspicion. We have noticed discrepancies in names, mobile numbers, and other KYC details, and most of the listed phone numbers are now switched off.”
While the nationality of the accused is yet to be verified amid allegations of they being Bangladeshis, police are investigating banking and government records. “The village where the funds were disbursed does not have a single Muslim family. Payments for all 181 accounts were halted, with an average disbursal of ₹2,000 per account,” Suryavanshi said.
