Jamkhed: Kharda police arrested a man for allegedly cheating sugarcane farmers of Rs 38.15 lakh by promising to supply cane-cutting labourers for the 2025–26 crushing season, Lokmat reported.
The accused, Jadhavrao Chandan Pardeshi from Ghusardi Khurd in Bhadgaon taluka of Jalgaon district, was taken into custody by the Police following a complaint by farmers from Jamkhed taluka.
Police said Pardeshi approached farmers claiming he could arrange labourers for harvesting sugarcane. To gain their trust, he reportedly executed agreements on Rs 100 stamp paper that were notarised. Believing the arrangement to be genuine, several farmers paid him money in instalments through cash, digital transfers and bank transactions.
The complainants — Haridas Tukaram Shelke, Dada Saudagar Korde, Rajkumar Arjun Sawant of Vaki, Valmik Shankar Pawar and Rahul Manohar Rode — together paid Rs 38,15,000. However, no labourers were provided and the accused allegedly switched off his mobile phone and became unreachable.
After realising they had been duped, the farmers approached the police. Acting on a tip-off, assistant police inspector Ujjwalsingh Rajput and his team traced Pardeshi to Nagad village in Kannad taluka of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district and arrested him.
During preliminary questioning, police found that farmers in Karmala in Solapur district and Ashti in Beed district may also have been cheated using a similar method. Officials said the scope of the investigation may be widened.
A case has been registered and further probe is underway under the supervision of senior district police officers.
