Maharashtra Loan Scam: BJP Minister Vikhe Patil, 53 Others Accused Of Cheating Farmers Using Forged Papers

Police in Maharashtra's Ahilyanagar district have registered a criminal case against state BJP minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and 53 others for allegedly obtaining loans worth nearly Rs 9 crore using forged documents in the names of unsuspecting farmers, according to a Deccan Herald report.

The case was officially registered on Monday at Loni police station, following orders from a local magistrate in Rahata, according to police officials.

The accused include the then chairman and directors of the Padmashri Vikhe Patil Sahakari Karkhana, a cooperative sugar mill, along with staff from the Union Bank of India and the Bank of India.

The complaint was filed by Balasaheb Vikhe, a sugarcane farmer and a member of the cooperative sugar mill. According to him, the alleged fraud dates back to 2004. At that time, the sugar mill's leadership was accused of preparing fake loan proposals using forged documents under the names of several farmer-members.

With the help of bank officials, they allegedly secured loans of Rs 3.11 crore and Rs 5.74 crore, respectively. However, the farmers whose names were used in the proposals never received the loan money. Instead, the funds were reportedly diverted by officials of the sugar mill and certain bank staff.

In addition, the accused are believed to have taken advantage of a government farm loan waiver scheme using these fake accounts, thus gaining illegal financial benefits.

The case has been registered under several sections of the Indian Penal Code related to cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. The action was taken after the magistrate acted on a petition filed under Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code, which allows a magistrate to direct police to investigate a cognisable offence.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare responded sharply to the news, calling it a shameful act. She demanded that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis immediately seek the resignation of Vikhe Patil.

"This is a matter of shame for the Mahayuti government," she told reporters.

The case is now under investigation. Police are likely to summon the accused for questioning in the coming days.