Srinagar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Crime Branch J&K has filed a charge-sheet in connection with FIR No. 07/2020 under Sections 409, 420, 120-B RPC before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sopore, against three senior officers of the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department.
The accused include Siraj-ud-Din Bhat, then TSO PEG Baramulla, Safapora Ganderbal; Mohd Hussain Bhat, then TSO/Storekeeper Hygam Granary, Handwara; and Mohammad Shafi Rather (@ Shafi Kanda), then TSO Hygam Granary, Pattan, the Crime Branch said in a statement issued here.
The case was initiated following a communication from the Directorate of FCS&CA indicating suspected misappropriation of rice from the Hygam and Baramulla (Centre D) granaries. Acting on these tips, a joint surprise check (JSC) was conducted to verify the dispatches and receipts of food grain consignments.
During the investigation, serious irregularities were uncovered. Seven truckloads of rice were falsely shown as dispatched from PEG Baramulla under the supervision of FCI officials and the TSO PEG Baramulla, the statement said. The challans falsely recorded these consignments as received at Hygam Granary and then distributed to sale centers at Wagoora, Nowpora, Kathigan Jathiar, Kalantra, and Dandmoh. However, the sale centers denied receiving any such stocks, and their official records supported this denial.
Further probe revealed that the challans had been fraudulently obtained by Assistant Storekeeper Mohammad Shafi Rather from Siraj-ud-Din Bhat and were managed through TSO Hygam, Mohd Hussain Bhat, the statement said. The investigation established that the accused officers, in criminal conspiracy with each other and with certain officials of FCI Baramulla, misappropriated a significant quantity of rice, resulting in considerable financial loss to the state.
Based on substantial oral and documentary evidence, the charges against the accused have been firmly established. The charge-sheet under Section 173 Cr.PC has been submitted before the appropriate court for judicial proceedings, the Crime Branch J&K said.
Crime Branch unearths rice diversion scam, charge-sheets senior officials
