CBI raids: Premises of FCI staff, rice milers search on Day 3

As per reports, FCI raids were conducted at different locations at Ludhiana, Sangrur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sunam, Mohali, and Patiala, and several officials, merchants and rice millers were also questioned. Sources say CBI also searched the house of Sanjeev Kumar, an office-bearer of the rice miller association, at Barnala.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s raids on Food Corporation of India (FCI)-controlled godowns and premises of its officials, merchants, rice millers, entered its third day on Thursday. The raids are part of FCI’s undercover operation ‘Kanak’ which started in May last year.

Around 74 persons have been named in the CBI’s FIR which claimed there was a nexus between grain merchants, FCI staff, and rice millers, and that there was a constant exchange of bribes for quality and quantity approvals of grain stocks. (PTI)

As per reports, raids were conducted at different locations at Ludhiana, Sangrur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sunam, Mohali, and Patiala, and several officials, merchants and rice millers were also questioned. Sources say CBI also searched the house of Sanjeev Kumar, an office-bearer of the rice miller association, at Barnala. Around 74 persons have been named in the CBI’s FIR which claimed there was a nexus between grain merchants, FCI staff, and rice millers, and that there was a constant exchange of bribes for quality and quantity approvals of grain stocks. Those named in the FIR include 37 serving and retired officials of FCI, 20 rice millers and grain merchants, and 17 private individuals.

The FCI is a central agency that drives the public distribution system across the country and also procures food grains in some states. On Wednesday, CBI had arrested FCI deputy general manager Rajeev Kumar Mishra, posted at Chandigarh, and a rice-mill owner Ravinder Singh Khaira. No arrest was reported on Thursday.