11 booked for irregularities in Belagavi sugar factory

Eleven individuals, including former Malaprabha Cooperative Sugar Factory (Rani Sugars) chairman Nasiruddin Bagwan, have been booked for financial irregularities and other violations at a sugar factory in Belagavi district. The police registered a case after receiving a complaint from Managing Director Mohan Hiremath. The accused named in the First Information Report include former chairmen Bagwan and Mohan Sambaragi, former general manager K.M.

Boregouda, former managers Ravindra Pattanashetty, Shiva Kulkarni, Veeranna Hulikatti, former sales managers Kalappa Badiger, Veerappa Itnal, B. Papanna, former chief chemists Sai Thiruvasakam and Sunil Patil. The charges against them are abuse of power and falsification of accounts at the factory in MK Hubli of Kittur taluk. The State government appointed a committee following a farmers' agitation to investigate corruption allegations.

The committee, comprising retired District Judge S.C. Ingalagi and retired Additional Controller of Cooperation S.M. Kaluti, submitted a 200-page report to the government after reviewing more than 300 pieces of evidence. They recommended registering a case against the accused.