Maharashtra Businessman Seeks Action Against Benin Firms for Rs 6.34 Crore Rice Export Fraud

A businessman from Maharashtra, Sarvesh Bhutada, has lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police, seeking an FIR against Benin-based firms STE RISING SARL and SOCIETE AGRIC TECH RICE SARL, along with four Indian agents, for a fraud amounting to approximately Rs 6.34 crore (USD 758,000) related to rice exports.

Bhutada, represented by Supreme Court lawyer SC Mishra, has requested the registration of an FIR and the initiation of legal proceedings against the accused. He seeks appropriate legal action under the relevant sections of the law to address the fraud.

Ganesh Agro Products, a rice exporter from Gondia district in Maharashtra, has alleged that it has been waiting over a year for payments from import agents in Cotonou, Benin. The company has filed an application with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and issued a legal notice to the defaulters, but there has been no significant progress in securing the payments.

The company, which began exporting non-basmati rice in 2021-22, faced initial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic but saw improvement in 2022-23 and 2023-24. They received several purchase orders for parboiled rice from Cotonou, Benin, from the owner of STE Rising Star SARL. The alleged fraudsters placed these orders through both STE Rising Star SARL and Societe Agric-Tech Rice SARL, which operate in Benin.

Ganesh Agro Products has appealed to the Government of India to take stringent action against these individuals, ensure their return to India, and secure payment of their dues with interest. The company also alleged in its application that the accused might be involved in money laundering. The accused have reportedly engaged in similar fraudulent activities with other Indians and are currently absconding from Cotonou, alleged the complainant.