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The arrested officials apparently showed expenses for the construction of around 880 irrigation ponds in Kalol taluka in 2004 on paper, while in reality the number constructed was even less than 300.
Police said they began investigations following complaints from farmers in the region. The LCB arrested B D Nayak, the then Kalol Taluka development officer, H A Khatola, a senior deputy engineer, R G Patel, a senior clerk, D F Chaudhary, a work assistant, and P J Bhatt, a talati. The police are also on the lookout for another senior clerk S G Sisodia and a work assistant S Sikander, while another senior clerk involved in the scam, A B Gohil died a few months ago.
Panchmahals Superintendent of police (SP) Dipanker Trivedi said, during investigations, they found that several ponds were not constructed at all, while on paper all were shown as complete and in good working condition.
The five arrested would now be produced in court on Friday. Teams have also been formed to track down the remaining accused, Trivedi said.
LCB police inspector (PI) K B Khant said they took over the investigation from Kalol Police last year, after it was revealed that the accused had duped farmers even in the distribution of wheat. "They showed on paper that they had disbursed several kilos of wheat to the farmers in Kalol, which is false according to the farmers," said Khant. He said there is ample evidence to suggest that the police had statements of several farmers in Kalol taluka for whom the ponds existed only on paper.
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