Cold storage MD cheats farmers

Swindles Rs.9 crore by forging signatures

Madhira (Khammam): Farmers in the town have been taken for a ride by the managing director of a cold storage unit who forged their signatures and withdrew Rs 9 crore from a bank. Managing Director of Pawan Sai Cold Storage unit U Surendrababu kept the record of rights (ROR) passbooks of farmers with himself and took their photocopies. He withdrew a staggering Rs 9 crore from their accounts in UBI Main Bank, Vijayawada, by forging their signatures. The farmers had kept their chilli crop in cold storage.

Although farmers were in no way involved in the scam, they were shocked after receiving bank notices asking them to repay the loans, failing which their properties would be confiscated. After realising the cheating, they confronted Surendrababu and demanded an explanation. He confessed withdrawing money through forgery, but assured to repay the amount immediately. Believing him farmers left, but till now, the amount has not been deposited in bank, which has been sending them reminders. Although they lodged a police complaint four months back against Surendrababu, no action was taken till now. He is moving freely; but innocent farmers are forced to run around the bank and the police.

In another incident, a the family of a farmer, Chava Ramalingaiah, of Kalakota in Bonakal mandal, received a bank notice that he took Rs 7 lakh loan in 2013 from UBI and that it should be repaid. The family members were shocked as he died in 2000. They wondered how a dead person could withdraw money after 13 years.

Speaking to the media, ‘cheated’ farmers said they were made to suffer for no fault and demanded stringent action against Surendrababu. They were already suffering for not getting remunerative prices. They represented to Wyra DSP demanding justice.