Ludhiana Farm Machinery Fraud Case Japanese Nationals Booked
Indian Express
The Ludhiana police have booked three Japanese nationals and two others for alleged fraud after an agricultural equipment manufacturing firm accused them of not returning machinery worth Rs 61.60 lakh that was given in good faith for field trials more than two
The Ludhiana police have booked three Japanese nationals and two others for alleged fraud after an agricultural equipment manufacturing firm accused them of not returning machinery worth Rs 61.60 lakh that was given “in good faith for field trials” more than two years ago.
The FIR against the representatives of M/s Maruyama Mfg India Private Limited, a Japan-based company working in the agriculture machinery sector with its local office in Gurgaon, was registered on Thursday at the Dehlon police station under Indian Penal Code sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
The accused are the company’s managing director, Munenori Ohta; deputy director Takayuki Saito; company functionary Toshio Kondo; and two managers: Harmeet Singh and Ritwique Das.
Alleging major fraud and breach of trust, Jagjit Singh, owner of Ludhiana-based Jagatsukh Industries Private Limited (which makes agricultural and garden sprayers and implements), said the Japanese firm’s representatives contacted his firm expressing a “willingness to build a business partnership to work together for agricultural advancement”, especially in Punjab and Haryana.
“They wanted to test our high-value boom spray machines in the field, and we trusted them. We provided them not only with machinery but also an office space in our factory. It was all in good faith. The machines were delivered to them in 2023 on the condition that they had to be returned after trials. More than two years later, the machines have still not been returned. We had developed the machinery after our own R and D (research and development). We are not going to give up on this till justice is served. Even if they fly to Japan, the law is going to catch them,” said Jagjit Singh. “They have since then dishonestly retained the said machines and kept them for their own use.”
The FIR registered states, “From in or about the month of August 2023 onwards, the accused persons, holding themselves out as the duly authorised personnel of Maruyama India, repeatedly approached the complainant company, and represented that they required machines for the limited purposes of demonstration, testing, exhibition and field trials at locations across India, on the express assurance that the said machines would be returned…”
The FIR added that relying on assurances and in good faith, Jagatsukh Industries handed over several machines under delivery challans marked “returnable” (or stating the value was only for transit, not sale), but the machines have not been returned even after more than two years.
Despite repeated attempts, Munenori Ohta and Takayuki Saito did not respond to The Indian Express’s calls or messages requesting a comment.