In a shocking turn of events in Dharwad district, two officials from the Karnataka Warehousing Corporation have been arrested for allegedly siphoning off hundreds of bags of grains and seeds deposited by local farmers. The accused, who managed a government warehouse in the APMC Yard in Annigeri town, reportedly sold the stolen goods to private traders and generated substantial profits through fraudulent means.
The investigation began when farmers attempted to retrieve their stored bengal gram and green gram but were denied access by warehouse manager Akash Mushannavar. Concerned, the farmers escalated the issue to regional manager Nemappa Lamani and the police. Upon inspection, it was discovered that 4,141 bags of grain were missing from the facility.
Authorities quickly took action, with Northern Range IGP Vikas Kumar stating that four investigative teams were formed. During questioning, Mushannavar and his assistant, Shashikumar Basayya Hiremath, confessed to selling 1,859 bags of grain worth ₹70 lakh to private traders in Gadag and Dharwad. They also admitted to securing loans totaling ₹82 lakh from local banks using forged documents.
The police have since recovered the stolen grain and are continuing their investigation to identify any additional parties involved in this scam. The two officials have been remanded to police custody for further questioning.
Read More: