A major alleged black marketing racket involving subsidised urea meant for farmers was unearthed near Bhambur village in Sirsa district on Sunday, with authorities seizing 494 bags of urea during a joint raid conducted by the Agriculture Department, police and GST officials.
The action was taken following information provided by members of the Bharatiya Kisan Ekta. Preliminary investigations suggest that subsidised agricultural-grade urea was being repackaged and prepared for sale as technical-grade urea to an industrial unit in Kota, Rajasthan.
Officials said the raid was conducted at a buffalo shed near the village around 8.30 am. The shed owner and other suspects fled the spot before the team arrived, while labourers working there were found on the premises. The authorities seized a container truck, filled and empty bags, sealing material and documents for further investigation.
Bharatiya Kisan Ekta state president Lakhwinder Singh Aulakh said the organisation had been receiving information for several days that urea meant for agricultural use was being diverted and sold illegally to factories in other states. Acting on the tip-off, the farmer leaders visited the site and allegedly found 45-kg bags of subsidised urea being emptied into 50-kg white bags marked as “technical grade” before being loaded into a Rajasthan-registered container.
Following the alert, a joint team comprising the police, Agriculture Department and GST officials reached the spot and recovered a large quantity of urea, empty bags and packaging material. The stock was sealed and samples were collected for laboratory examination.
Investigators also recovered seals and equipment allegedly used to stamp technical-grade markings on the bags. The officials suspect the operation may have been running for a long time and could involve an organised network.
During the investigation, the officials found that the seized urea belonged to a May 2026 batch supplied by KRIBHCO. The material was allegedly being repacked and prepared for dispatch to Kota. The documents recovered from the site showed a supplier named “Satnam Traders” of Kanda Colony, Rania Road, Sirsa. However, the officials said no such registered firm was found in Agriculture Department records. Fake invoices and e-way bills were allegedly used to make the consignment appear legitimate.
The authorities are now investigating how such a large quantity of subsidised urea reached the accused. The probe will examine the supply chain, dealer records, sales registers and purchase records of farmers. The GST Department is also scrutinising documents to determine the scale of the alleged network and possible tax evasion.
Agriculture Department SDO Dr Amit Kumar said 494 bags of urea had been recovered from the site. He said preliminary findings indicated that the agricultural-grade urea was being prepared for transport to Kota as technical-grade material. The stock has been sealed and a detailed probe is underway. An FIR will be registered in the case, he added.
