Mahoba: In a massive scam under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), seven people, including a Common Service Center (CSC) operator, have been arrested for allegedly filing fraudulent crop insurance claims. The accused are said to have used falsified documents to claim insurance on ponds, hills, forest lands, rivers, barren lands, and chakkar paths. Earlier, 23 accused—including a district manager of the insurance company—had already been taken into custody.
Investigation Details and Arrests
The Mahoba Police confirmed that the scam involves approximately Rs 40 crore in fraudulent crop insurance claims in the district during the Kharif season of 2024. The scheme reportedly involved collusion between the accused and certain officials of the insurance company, who approved claims without proper verification.
On Thursday, a special team led by Charikari Police Station In-Charge Praveen Kumar Singh apprehended the following accused near Ratan Sagar Talab:
- Kamlkishor, resident of Nirtara village
- Rajendra Kumar, resident of Luhari
- Satyendra Kumar Rajput
- Kamlesh Kumar
- Saksham, resident of Nirtara
- Ramswaroop, resident of Bara Srinagar
- Asharam, resident of Govind Nagar, Kulpahar
According to the police, all these individuals submitted falsified documents on the PMFBY portal to illegitimately claim government benefits. They were sent for court appearance immediately.
A day prior, Nikhil Chaturvedi, the district manager of the insurance company, along with four other accused, had also been arrested. With these recent arrests, the total number of people taken into custody has reached 30.
Modus Operandi of the Scam
Investigations reveal that the accused exploited both cultivable and non-cultivable lands—including rivers, ponds, hills, barren lands, chakkar paths, and forest areas—to claim crop insurance. Fraudulent records were submitted in their own names or in collusion with insurance company officials, resulting in payments of several lakh rupees per case. The involvement of company staff significantly escalated the scale of the scam, ultimately amounting to crores of rupees.
As the layers of the case unfolded, the Deputy Director of Agriculture, Ramsjivan, had filed reports in Mahoba Police Station in August against district manager Nikhil Chaturvedi and several unknown persons. Additional FIRs were registered in Panwari, Charikari, Ajner, and Kulpahar police stations, covering 26 named and several unidentified accused.
Impact and Ongoing Investigation
The scam highlights serious vulnerabilities in the crop insurance verification process, exposing how fraudulent claims can be made on non-existent or government-owned lands. Authorities are continuing their investigation to identify all those involved and ensure that recovery and legal action are taken against the guilty parties.
Officials have confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and have urged vigilance in processing insurance claims to prevent further fraudulent activities.
