Bringing back memories of the multi-crore fodder scam, the CBI has booked a private contractor and officials of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for transporting 2,901 quintals of rice through scooters, cars and even water tankers. In the fodder scam, instances of cattle having been ferried on scooters/two wheelers were shown in records to make up for the money siphoned off from the treasury.
In the bizarre case, the CBI has registered an FIR against a private transport contractor and officials of FCI for allegedly stealing 2,901 kg of rice worth Rs 85 lakh.
The accused persons stole the rice and in the records of the transshipment cited the licence numbers of scooters, motor cycles, buses and water tankers.
The CBI has launched the probe into the matter after registering an FIR on a complaint from the FCI.
It was alleged that a total of 9,191 quintals (9,19,100 kg) of rice was dispatched from Salchapra rail terminal in Assam for Koirengei in Manipur between March 7, 2016 to March 22, 2016 on 57 trucks of a private transporter, Zenith Enterprises. Each truck was given a road movement permit.
The consignment reached the destination after two months for covering a distance of 275.5 km, which in the normal course takes about nine hours.
Verification showed that 2901.63 quintals (2,90,163 kg) of rice worth Rs 84.98 lakh being transported by 16 vehicles had been misappropriated.
This rice was not delivered at Koirengei depot but was shown in records as having been received, the FIR alleged.
In sown affidavit, the transporter claimed that the delay was due to breakdown of trucks which required transhipment of the food grains through other trucks.
The CBI enquiry revealed that license numbers of transhipment vehicles, replacing trucks which had allegedly broken down, were not trucks but LML and Honda Activa scooters, motorcycles, water tankers, bus, Maruti van, cars and ghost vehicles whose numbers had not been even registered by the Road Transport Offices concerned, according to the FIR.
The license numbers records showed that two tranches of 16,300 kg and 10,000 kg of missing rice were transported by scooters and another tranche of 16,300 kg of stolen rice was transported by a motorcycle, the FIR alleged.
Non-transportation of the aforesaid 2601.63 quintals of rice to Koirengei and its misappropriation is further substantiated by the fact that the vehicle numbers mentioned in records, including the vehicles used in transhipment in respect of aforesaid 16 road movement permits, were not entered in the in the checkpost between Leingangpokpi police check-post and Keithelmanbi police check post, according to the FIR.
It is alleged that officials of FCI at Salchapra, Ashish Kumar Paul and Rajnish Kumar Gupta, had fraudulently issued these 16 permits without loading the rice, and L Johson, a representative of the transporter Zenith Enterprises, had falsely signed these permits, the FIR said.
It said Soibam Surjit Singh of the transporter company had allegedly submitted false affidavits regarding the breakdown of trucks en route and transhipment by other vehicles.
False entries of receipt were allegedly made by officials at Koirengei, they said adding that the transport company also raised fake bills of 16 trucks, official said adding all of them have been booked under IPC Sections relating to criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, using a forged document as genuine and falsification of accounts besides relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.