PUNSUP freezes ₹2 crore, bank accounts of accused
THE FOOD AND CIVIL SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT HAD DETECTED BOGUS PURCHASE OF 86,939 BAGS OF PADDY WORTH ₹5.6 CRORE
FEROZEPUR: The Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd (PUNSUP) on Monday froze about ₹2 crore, which the officials said was part of the alleged scam concerning bogus purchase of paddy worth ₹5.6 crore at Guru Har Sahai, a sub-division of Ferozepur district.
PUNSUP district manager Deepak Swarn said they tracked the money trail into the scam and froze ₹2 crore and also blocked the bank accounts of the accused.
Food and civil supplies department had detected bogus purchase of 86,939 bags of paddy worth ₹5.6 crore on Saturday.
As per reports, PUNSUP district manager of Ferozepur had detected abnormal purchase at Jiwan Arain and Panje Ke Uttar mandis by some arhtiyas — Reet Enterprises, owned by Jaswinder Singh; Jagdish Chander & Sons, owned by Sandeep Kumar; and Dhruv Commission Agent, owned by Rishu Mutneja.
They had allegedly made bogus purchases in connivance with Sunrise Rice Mill, Jiwan Arain in Guru Har Sahai tehsil, against which payment to the tune of ₹5.6 crore was also received, sources said.
The millers were allegedly planning to procure paddy from other states such as UP and Bihar, where it is available cheaper than the MSP, and then deliver it during milling to make a quick profit, reports said.
“We are close to tracing the rest of the money embezzled,” said Swarn. PUNSUP inspector Hansa Singh was placed under suspension after being booked for his alleged involvement in the scam, he said.
Earlier, Congress MLA Kulbir Singh Zira had raised questions on the working of the state police and demanded a CBI probe into the scam. “The paddy scam in Guru Har Sahai is mere a tip of the iceberg. The main accused involved in the scam was released by the police for the reasons known to them. It’s evident that no fair probe can be expected and the matter needs to be handed over to the CBI,” Zira told HT.
Repeated attempts to contact Ferozepur SSP went futile.