Police have registered a case against a trader here in Maharashtra for allegedly duping farmers of over Rs 2 crore on the pretext of buying their produce at a higher price, an official said.
A 50-year-old farmer from Devlali village in neighbouring Osmanabad district in his police complaint said he sold 133 quintal of soybean worth Rs 5.40 lakh to the trader in 2018-19.
The trader issued a cheque to him but it was dishonoured by the bank, the police official said on Wednesday.
The farmer then demanded cash payment from the trader, but he did not respond.
The cultivator later got to know that the trader had allegedly not made payments to 43 farmers for their produce worth a total of Rs 2.17 crore, the official said.
Based on his complaint, the Shivaji Nagar police here registered a case against the trader on Wednesday under Indian Penal Code Sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust), the official said.
