FIR against Kaithal brothers for stealing rice worth ₹7 cr

Rice mill owners Rajnish Miglani, Girish Miglani have been on the run for the past one week; two of their guarantors also booked

KARNAL: Having failed to recover the procured rice of about Rs 7 crore from a rice mill in Kaithal, the Haryana government has initiated police action against its owners and their guarantors.

The Kaithal police have registered an FIR against two brothers, Rajnish Miglani and Girish Miglani, who have been on the run for the past one week. During a physical verification, officials found 4,000 tonne rice (worth Rs 7 crore) less at their mill as against the paddy they procured for government agencies. Two guarantors, whose names have not been disclosed, were also booked.

Following the directions of additional chief secretary (food and supplies department) PK Dass, the district food and supplies controller had written to the Kaithal superintendent of police (SP) for action against the rice millers and their guarantors.

“We had demanded an FIR against the owners of rice mill and their guarantors,” said Kaithal district food and supplies controller (DFSC) Virender Singh.

On the reports that the documents of the guarantors were also missing from the department and action might be taken against the officials of food and supplies department, the DFSC said, “We have most of the documents given by the guarantors, but some papers of the contract with rice mill were missing. This is part of the police investigation.”

“We have two commission agents form Kaithal grain market as the guarantors of the rice mill and now the police has been asked to take action as per the law,” he added.

Kaithal SP Virender Vij said that on the complaint from officials of food and supplies department, an FIR has been registered against the accused under Sections 406, 409 and 420 of Indian Penal Code (IPC). Further investigation was on, he added.

On whether there is involvement of government officials in this scam, he said, “This is the part of investigation.”

The DFSC did not disclose the names of the guarantors. As per the records, the RG Enterprises was given 7,000 tonne paddy as per the custom milling of rice contract. During physical verification, 4,000 tonne rice was found missing at the mill.

Following allegations of scam in paddy procurement in state, the government had ordered two physical verification of all rice mills in the state and it admitted that a fraud of at least Rs 90 crore was detected in the paddy procurement process.

DURING A PHYSICAL VERIFICATION, OFFICIALS FOUND 4,000 TONNE RICE LESS AT THEIR MILL AS AGAINST PADDY THEY PROCURED FOR GOVT AGENCIES

TOOK ADVANTAGE OF FLEXIBLE POLICY

Recovery of rice or money from the defaulting rice mills remains A challenge for the authorities. As per the officials of food and supplies department, rice millers take advantage of government’s flexible policy.

They are allowed to make procurement of rice worth several crores with surety of Rs 50 lakh. If rice millers have taken the mill on lease, they arel allowed to procure paddy on surety of Rs 50 lakh each from two guarantors and two running rice mills. “Such millers take advantage of the policy,” said a senior official of the food and supplies department. “Even the defaulting rice millers manage to create another firm for procurement,” he said, adding that the government has the rights to make recovery from rice mills and guarantors, but it a lengthy process.