Fertiliser stock seized in Sambhajinagar; scam of refilling cheaper fertiliser in costly NPK bags exposed, FIR cites cheating of farmers, govt

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A massive fertiliser fraud involving the refilling of low-cost materials into high-priced branded bags has been unearthed in the Vanjarwadi area. Authorities seized 118.74 metric tonnes of stock worth Rs26.62 lakh during a raid at an unnamed godown under the jurisdiction of Daulatabad police station.The crackdown followed a complaint by Govind Ramkishan Paul, a fertiliser inspector and agriculture officer with the quality control wing of the taluka agriculture office. Acting on specific intelligence, a team led by police sub-inspector Vasant Shelke raided a tin-shed godown owned by an individual identified as Adhane.Commissioner of police Pravin Pawar stated that the preliminary probe revealed a large-scale operation aimed at cheating farmers. The accused allegedly filled low-grade fertiliser into bags of premium NPK complex fertilisers to sell them at significant markups. Additionally, the complaint states that subsidised urea meant for agriculture was being hoarded, diverted to the black market, and repackaged into non-subsidised industrial-grade bags, causing substantial financial losses to the government.Agriculture department officials also discovered that subsidised single super phosphate (SSP) granulated fortified fertiliser — containing zinc and boron - was being repacked into more expensive branded bags. This allowed the perpetrators to illegally pocket subsidies while depriving genuine farmers of high-quality nutrients.During the raid, authorities recovered a massive cache of stock and over 14,000 empty printed bags featuring reputed brands, including IFFCO, RCF, Paradeep Phosphates, Coromandel International, and Indian Potash Limited.The seized inventory included 700 bags of SSP fertilizer, 320 bags of unidentified granular fertilizer, 553 bags of suspected mono-ammonium phosphate or magnesium sulphate, 72 bags of IFFCO urea and 60 bags of RCF urea, a truck stationed at the site loaded with 35 metric tonnes of SSP fertiliser.Police also seized a bag-closing stitching machine and sewing thread, confirming that repackaging was being carried out on-site.An FIR has been registered under various provisions of the Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985, and the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The accused also face charges under Sections 318(4) (cheating) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.Police officials stated that further investigations are underway to identify additional accomplices and dismantle the wider network involved in this illegal trade.