Chhattisgarh MLA arrested over alleged cheating of a farmer in Janjgir Champa

The Hindu
The Hindu
3h ago
Police arrested Congress MLA Baleshwar Sahu in Janjgir Champa district over allegations that he and an accomplice cheated a farmer by fraudulently transferring money from the farmer’s bank account.
Chhattisgarh MLA arrested over alleged cheating of a farmer in Janjgir Champa
A What happened
Police arrested Congress MLA Baleshwar Sahu, who represents the Jaijaipur constituency, in a cheating case in Chhattisgarh’s Janjgir Champa district on January 9, 2026. Police alleged Sahu and Gautam Rathore cheated complainant Ram Kumar Sharma by transferring money from Sharma’s account to their own accounts. Police said that between 2015 and 2020, when Sahu was manager of the District Cooperative Society, Bamhnidih, he advised Sharma to take a Kisan Credit Card loan on 50 acres of land and obtained a blank cheque. Police stated the accused transferred ₹24 lakh to Sahu’s and his wife’s accounts and withdrew a total of ₹42.78 lakh using forged signatures and thumb impressions.

Takeaways

Baleshwar Sahu was arrested and remained without regular bail in the case as of January 9, 2026.

Topics

Law & Public Safety Crime & Justice Courts

Stay ahead with OwlBrief

Daily briefs that distill the world’s important events — clear, verified, and designed for understanding.

Newsletter

Get OwlBrief in your inbox

A fast, high-signal digest of the day’s most important events — plus the context that makes them make sense.

Quick to read. Useful all day.