30 convicted in 2004-05 Punjab rice procurement scam; 14 FCI officials among them

Mohali, Nov 14 (TNT) : A special court of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has convicted 30 persons, including 14 officials of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and 16 private rice millers, in three cases relating to irregularities in rice procurement during the 2004-05 Kharif season in Punjab.

The court delivered its verdict on November 13, finding the accused guilty of criminal conspiracy and cheating under the Indian Penal Code, the agency said in a release.

The FCI officials were also convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The sentences range from one to three years of rigorous imprisonment, besides fines.

The cases pertain to the procurement of substandard rice as Grade-A rice at FCI centres in Malerkotla, Sunam and Tapa in Sangrur district, resulting in wrongful payments to rice millers and financial losses to the corporation.

The irregularities came to light following surprise checks conducted jointly by the CBI in September 2005.

Laboratory tests subsequently confirmed that the rice consignments did not meet the prescribed quality standards.

The CBI registered a case on January 7, 2006, and filed three separate charge sheets on November 28, 2008.

At Malerkotla, 10 persons, including five FCI officials and five rice millers, were convicted.

The FCI officials were sentenced to two years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 15,000 each.

Three millers received three years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25,000 each, while two others were sentenced to two years and fined Rs 20,000 each.

In the Sunam case, six persons, including three FCI officials and three millers, were convicted.

The officials received two years’ rigorous imprisonment and fines of Rs 15,000 each. One miller was sentenced to one year in prison and fined Rs 10,000, while the other two received two years’ imprisonment and fines of Rs 20,000 each.

At Tapa, 14 persons, including six FCI officials and eight private individuals, were convicted.

The officials were sentenced to two years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 15,000 each.

Three private accused received three years’ imprisonment and fines of Rs 20,000 each, while the remaining five were sentenced to two years and fined Rs 20,000 each.

The verdict brings to a close the trial in the three cases arising from the procurement irregularities during the 2004-05 Kharif season.