Leading Karnal miller arrested in Rs 5.9 crore rice scam

KARNAL: Four years after being booked in a case over non-delivery of custom-milled rice (CMR) worth around Rs 5.9 crore, one of the top rice exporters of Karnal has finally surrendered in the court. The man was also booked earlier this year by the CBI for allegedly cheating a consortium of six banks to the tune of Rs 414 crore.
The police said Naresh Kumar, managing director of Ram Dev International Ltd, Karnal—an accused in the 2016 CMR scam—surrendered before the district court on Saturday.He has been sent to seven-day police remand.
The Karnal police had registered an FIR in July 2016 on the complaint of Karnal district food and supplies controller (DFSC) against owner-managing director Naresh and director Suresh Kumar of Ram Dev International Ltd and his guarantors on charges of criminal conspiracy, fraud and cheating.
As per the policy, the firm was committed to deliver 51,911.35 quintal rice within a stipulated period, but he delivered only 32,295.40 quintal and the remaining 19,615.95 quintal worth nearly Rs 5.9 crore was never delivered despite repeated reminders, after which the complaint was filed.
In May this year, the owners of Ram Dev International Rice Mill, Naresh, Suresh and Sangeeta Rani, all residents of Sector 7 of Karnal, had been booked by the Central, Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a complaint of the State Bank of India of six public sector banks of Rs 414 crore and then fleeing the country.
Rajneesh Choudhary, president of Karnal Arhtiyas Association, alleged that the owners of Ram Dev International have also cheated hundreds of local arhtiyas to the tune of Rs 9.54 crore in 2015-2016, as they used to purchase paddy from the farmers for Ram Dev International.
Sandeep Kumar, in-charge of the economic offences cell of the Karnal police, confirmed that the accused surrendered before the district court and has been sent to police remand.