Insurance firm staffers among 11 booked for Rs 30 crore fraud in Fasal Bima Yojana in Mudhol

BAGALKOT: A massive scam to the tune of Rs 30.28 crore has been uncovered in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in Mudhol, Bagalkot district. Eleven individuals, including some employees of Universal Sompo Insurance Company and fake farmers, have been booked for allegedly misusing the scheme and siphoning off funds.

The scam is believed to have been ongoing for five years, from 2020-21 to date. The accused allegedly declared lesser areas under cultivation, inflated claims and submitted false documents to claim insurance benefits. They then split the proceeds between themselves and the insurance company officials.

The scam came to light after an anonymous complaint was received by the district administration, alleging irregularities in the implementation of the PMFBY in Mudhol. The Mudhol Assistant Director of Agriculture, Siddalingesh Doddamani, conducted an inquiry and filed a complaint with the police, leading to the registration of an FIR.

The accused include Kallappa Hunashikatti, Srinivas Patil, Kalmesh Junnur, Srinivas Hunashikatti, Ramesh Hunashikatti, Prashant Komar, Srikant Halagali and four employees of Universal Sompo Insurance Company — Yashwant, Rakesh, Prakash and Anil.

According to the complaint, the accused had allegedly claimed Rs 28,51,580 in insurance benefits for the current year, despite not cultivating the crop. The total amount of money siphoned off is estimated to be around Rs 30.28 crore. The district administration has ordered a thorough investigation into the matter, and the police are working to recover the lost funds.