Marathi film producer held for cheating Maharashtra govt of Rs10 lakh

The accused, Ajit Sarang, had approached the state with the script of “Rashtra Sant Tukdoji Maharaj” for availing the government grant of subsidy on historical and social films

The crime branch arrested a 62-year-old Marathi film producer, who cheated the state government of Rs 10 lakh, by taking a monetary grant offered for making regional films.

The officials of unit I of crime branch, including officers Avadut Chavan, Dashrath Vitkar and others, arrested the elderly from his Nashik residence on Thursday.

The accused, Ajit Sarang, had approached the state with the script of “Rashtra Sant Tukdoji Maharaj” for availing the government grant of subsidy on historical and social films.

The state government’s cultural directorate and Sarang entered an agreement in 2005 and he later took the first installment of Rs 10 lakh. It was part of a total of Rs 50 lakh that the state had agreed to offer.

Sarang later provided fake bills of utilising the money and fled.