Balangir, July 25: Seven years after some Delhi and Agra-based companies grabbed the land of farmers in the name of jatropha cultivation, Sushil Pradhan was arrested in connection with cheating the peasants to benefit the firms .

The farmers had fallen into the trap of the companies and lost their land. Taking advantage of their ignorance, these firms got several hundred acres of agricultural land transferred in their name. Sushil and some others had acted as middlemen to facilitate the deals between the companies and the farmers.

Cases have been lodged against Sushil and he was remanded in custody after a Balangir court rejected his bail plea.

According to sources, in 2005, some Delhi and Agra-based private companies contacted farmers and wanted their lands on lease to set up enterprises such as an incense stick-making unit and dairy farming, from which they could benefit. The company allegedly got the farmers to visit the tehsil office to sign the documents and took over their land by making false promises.

Without verifying what the company was up to, they signed on the dotted lines of the sale deeds. Some of the affected villages under Patnagarh are Jalpali, Ghumer, Ainlatunga and Ghunghutipali. In May 2007, the then district collector R.S. Gopalan and in October 2007 the then revenue divisional commissioner (RDC, northern division) Madhusudan Padhi conducted an inquiry that confirmed fraudulent transactions of land and pointed fingers at the then revenue inspector, tehsildar and sub-registrar of Patnagarh, where the land were registered.

The companies took away 358.72 acres from 70 farmers of 11 villages under Patnagarh sub-division of Balangir by fraudulent means. Krushna Chandra Banchhor of Jalpali, who has lost 6.92 acres, said the farmers were yet to get back their land.