A Maharashtra-based businessman has filed a complaint with Delhi Police, urging them to register an FIR against two Benin-based firms, STE Rising SARL and Societe Agric Tech Rice SARL, along with four Indian agents, in connection with a rice export fraud amounting to Rs 6.34 crore (approximately USD 758,000).
The complainant, Sarvesh Bhutada, who owns Ganesh Agro Products, has taken legal action through Supreme Court lawyer SC Mishra, requesting the authorities to initiate proceedings against the accused under relevant legal provisions. Bhutada alleges that the fraud was orchestrated by Indian agents who facilitated rice purchase orders for Cotonou, Benin.
According to the complaint, Ganesh Agro Products, a rice exporter based in Gondia district, Maharashtra, has been awaiting payments for over a year from import agents in Benin. Despite filing an application with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and issuing legal notices, the company has not yet received any payments.
The company, which began exporting non-basmati rice in 2021-22, faced challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic but saw better prospects in the following years. During this time, they received multiple orders for parboiled rice from buyers in Cotonou, Benin, linked to STE Rising Star SARL and Societe Agric-Tech Rice SARL.
Ganesh Agro Products initially issued legal notices to the Benin-based firms and later approached the MEA, seeking action against those responsible. The company has appealed to the Indian government to take stringent measures, including securing the accused individuals’ return to India and ensuring the payment of outstanding dues with interest.
The complaint also alleges that the accused may be involved in money laundering activities and could be linked to similar fraudulent schemes targeting other Indian businesses. The alleged fraudsters are reportedly absconding in Benin.
The matter has now attracted attention at the governmental level as Ganesh Agro Products continues its legal battle to recover its dues.
