Foodgrain transportation scam: Court declares accused commission agent PO

Earlier, in August, Rakesh Kumar Singla, ex-deputy director, food and civil supplies department, was declared a PO in the case

More than a year after the food grain transportation scam was unearthed by the Punjab vigilance bureau, the court of chief judicial magistrate Radhika Puri on Tuesday declared accused commission agent Surinder Kumar Dhotiwala a proclaimed offender in the case.

Dhotiwala is the second accused in the scam to be declared as a proclaimed offender.

Dhotiwala is the second accused in the scam to be declared as a proclaimed offender. Earlier, in August, accused Rakesh Kumar Singla, former deputy director, food and civil supplies department, was declared a PO in the case. Dhotiwala was nominated as an accused in the scam on September 15 last year and has been evading arrest ever since.

Another absconding accused in the case, Rakesh Singla, was also declared a proclaimed offender earlier this year.

According to SSP (vigilance) Ravinder Pal Singh Sandhu, Dhotiwala managed to store paddy collected from shellers of his relatives, including his brother and sons, who are also agents. The said shops were situated in Hambran and Mullanpur and the accused managed to store paddy at his own rice mill (M/s Om Agro Industries) in violation of clause 12(j) of the Custom Milling Policy of the state for the year 2021-22. All this was executed with the active involvement of co-accused Surinder Kumar Berry, the then district manager of PUNGRAIN.

As per the policy, of the 100% raw paddy, 67% of the finished rice is to be milled by the rice mill owner. But during 2020-2021, under the knowledge of the co-accused officials of the department, minister, food and supplies Bharat Bhushan Ashu and his associates, a part of these 67 bags was sold in the open market at a higher cost by rice miller Surinder Kumar and later shortage was fulfilled from the paddy brought illegally from outer states such as UP and Bihar without paying the MSP at lower rates. This caused huge financial loss to the government, said Sandhu.

As per the case, former cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu’s PA Meenu Malhotra had accepted a bribe of ₹6 lakh from contractor Telu Ram to arrange a meeting with Ashu for allotment of tenders for labour and transportation works for the year 2020-21 in the grain markets. It has been alleged that Ashu tried to help some contractors by changing the clause in Punjab Foodgrain Labour and Cartage Policy 2020-21.