Police have arrested Rakesh Agrawal, owner of Sarlahi-based Annapurna Sugar Mills from his residence in Tripureshwor over charges of fraud.
Basanta Bahadur Kunwar, senior superintendent and spokesperson for Nepal Police said that Agarwal has been booked for not paying cane dues to the sugarcane farmers in Sarlahi and Nawalparasi. Agrawal also owns Nawalparasi-based Indira Sugar Mills.
As per the data of Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, the Annapurna Sugar Mills owe Rs 170 million and has paid only Rs 99.01 million to the cane farmers.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had ordered action against sugar millers that failed to clear cane dues. Earlier the sugarcane farmers had launched an agitation in December at Kathmandu demanding the clearance of the pending cane dues. The farmers called off their agitation after the government assured them to ask the millers to clear the pending cane dues.
