Brothers flee with crores

The Singla’s had one of the leading arhtiyas in the grain market until recently. Besides, they were running a ginning unit, a tractor showroom at Fatehabad and another firm at Ratia.

A senior member of the Beopar Mandal says that the brothers had such social status and goodwill in the market that nobody had thought they would flee, leaving everyone in the lurch. He has lodged an FIR against the brothers and other family members.

A police party headed by Balbir Singh and Darshan Nagpal, secretary, Beopar Mandal, has rushed to Calcutta in search of the Singlas on the basis of information provided by their driver that the family boarded the Howrah Express.

Sources in the grain market say that next on the worst affected list is the staff — numbering about 200 — in the Bhushan Brothers Ginning Mill, besides the milk vendor, panwala and STD PCO holders to whom the family owe lakhs of rupees.

Hundreds of those to whom the Singlas owe large amounts of money ransacked their palatial house in Fatehabad. The bank has sealed the family’s showroom and firm.

The incident has adversely affected the grain market which was already facing a cash-crunch. The sources told ENS that the Singlas were the fourth case of bankruptcy during the last six months.

One of the affluent cotton mandis once, the overall reputation of the grain market and its traders has been damaged. “First, it was the turn of a trader who lost around Rs 50 lakh in satta trading, followed by the failure of two rice shellers in the city. Some of the traders owe lakhs of rupees to all the three firms and have been facing a severe cash-crunch,” an old arhtiya said on the condition of anonymity.

“The brothers’ firm, Mithun Lal Onkar Mal, alone had liabilities worth crores in the market,” said another trader.

Beopar Mandal leaders have also accused a couple of nationalised banks. “The palms of the bank officials must have been greased while getting the limits fixed,” alleged Rohtas Kumar, president of the Beopar Mandal.

A deputation of local traders met Superintendent of Police (SP) Rajbir Deswal and urged him to expedite the investigations into the case. Deswal has entrusted the case to the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA).