Nanjangud: An inter-State conman has been arrested by Nanjangud Police on charges of cheating poultry farmers on the pretext of helping them to produce the most sought after Omega nutritious egg.

According to Police, the accused has been identified as Pramod, Founding-Chairman of Omega 36 Poultry and Technology at Nyayantan town near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. His family members were Directors of this company. 

He had reportedly hoodwinked poultry farmers by promising them to supply Omega BV 380 variety chicken and buying back the hatched eggs from them. The accused had collected Rs. 1.25 lakh from farmers from each farmer. When poultry farmers questioned him for not taking the eggs, he had forcibly taken away the chicken without returning the money.

The Police said the modus operandi of the accused was to open his company branch in each town, collect money from farmers and then escape. He had opened the branch at Devirammanahalli village in Nanjangud taluk and had collected Rs. 1.25 from Kalaiah of Kadkola and Sampath of Nanjangud town each. He had also given 100 chicken to each of them and assured them of buying  each egg at Rs. 5 as against its market price of Rs. 10 per piece. Accordingly, they had set the poultry farm on their farm land. He promptly bought the eggs for three months which made other villagers to believe him. They too paid money to him. Subsequently, he shut his shop and escaped. 

The Police further said, unable to sell the eggs, the farmers went to Kerala to question him. The accused, Pramod, took back the chicken but refused to return money. In turn, he lodged a complaint against farmers in Kerala. As many as 28 criminal cases are pending against him in various places including Nanjangud, Udupi, Madikeri, Saligrama and other places. 

Though the Karnataka Police went to arrest the accused in Kerala he wielded influence to evade it. Making up mind to arrest him at any cost, Mysuru Superintendent of Police C.B. Rhyshyanth sent Nanjangud Police Inspector Lakshmikant Talwar, Sub-inspector Satish and staff Latif, Devaraj, Kavish, Krishna and Ajeya, were sent to Kerala as egg buyers. They waited for three days to nab him. The accused was very influential in his town with two of his sisters being Councillors in local body and had big number of supporters. After seeing Nanjangud Cops, he tried to evade arrest by seeking help of the Kerala Cops. 

However, Police Inspector Talwar showed the copy of FIR to Kerala Cops and advocate of the accused, to secure him. They brought him to Nanjangud after giving in writing to Kerala Police that have arrested Pramod.

He was produced before the Court and remanded to judicial custody. Police Inspector Talwar has asked farmers who have been cheated by the accused, to come and lodge complaint. The Police believed that Pramod may have cheated several people in other States too.