Bhadohi (UP), Feb 8 (PTI) An FIR has been registered against a farm owner and his two associates for allegedly cheating tribal farm labourers by purchasing motorcycles on loan in their names and later threatening them, officials said on Sunday.

The FIR was lodged at the Suriyawan police station on Saturday on a complaint by Raju Vanvasi (35), a farm labourer from Dumduma village, police said.

The accused have been identified as Sangam Saroj, the farm owner, and his friends Azad and Karan Saroj, who have been booked under sections of the BNS pertaining to cheating by impersonation, dishonest inducement to obtain property, criminal intimidation, and intentional insult to provoke breach of peace, police said.

Suriyawan SHO Manish Dwivedi said Raju had been working on Saroj's farm for the past five years.

In January, the accused allegedly took Raju to a motorcycle agency in Rajpura, collected his Aadhaar card, obtained his thumb impression on some documents, and purchased two new motorcycles on loan.

Raju, who is illiterate, realised the alleged fraud only after receiving loan repayment notices, the SHO said.

Another farm labourer, Chamela Devi, told police that she too was duped similarly into taking a motorcycle loan.

When Raju confronted the accused, they allegedly assaulted him and threatened to kill him if he raised the issue again, according to the complaint.

Efforts are underway to trace and arrest the three accused, the SHO said. PTI COR ABN ARI