Three Markfed officers in Abohar in Punjab’s Fazilka district had been suspended and booked in a theft case on Tuesday night following a “sting operation” by a farmer union chief that exposed that just about 100 quintals of wheat meant for the general public distribution system (PDS) had been being stolen from a godown.
The incident happened at a Markfed or Punjab State Co-op Provide and Advertising Federation Ltd godown on the intervening night time of Monday and Tuesday.
Based on Sukhjinder Singh Rajan, a union chief of Bharatiya Kisan Union Rajewal, he and several other different farmers reached the Markfed godown situated on bypass of the Abohar-Fazilka Highway on Monday night time and noticed the godown mendacity open and a tractor-trolley loaded with wheat. The sacks had allegedly been opened and free wheat had been loaded onto the car with a capability to carry about 100 quintals of grain.
“I made a noise and the motive force of the tractor-trolley tried to run me over. He managed to flee from the situation, nonetheless, we chased him and managed to catch maintain of him. He was taken to the police station and the tractor-trolley was additionally confiscated,” Rajan stated.
An FIR was lodged towards Avi Kumar Manchanda, Subject Officer (Normal), Chinderpal, the motive force Sher Singh, and 7-8 unidentified folks below sections 331(4) and 305(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on expenses of home trespass and theft in a authorities property.
“Now we have arrested the motive force and are investigating the matter. We’re amassing particulars concerning the whole inventory and the individuals answerable for inventory administration,” Manjinder Singh, Station Home Officer, Metropolis 1 police station, stated.
Manchanda and Markfed assistant area officers Steffy and Robin had been suspended on Tuesday night. As per their suspension letter, they are going to be given a subsistence allowance and report back to Markfed headquarters in Chandigarh.
On Wednesday afternoon, a crew from Markfed’s Chandigarh workplace got here to Abohar to inquire concerning the incident. The crew was nonetheless within the metropolis until the time of submitting this report.
“It was stunning that the godown had no cameras put in inside. There was very poor mild contained in the godown…this will need to have been happening for an extended whereas. We had details about this therefore we determined to do a sting operation and located the reality,” Rajan added.
Sandeep Jakhar, the suspended Congress MLA from Abohar, took to X to touch upon the incident. “State of affairs…Final night time on the Markfed godown in Abohar, a tractor trolley was apprehended stealing wheat meant for the PDS by Sukhjinder Singh and his crew with the assistance of the police. Now the query is, for a way lengthy has this theft been happening, who all are concerned, what’s the modus operandi & who all get a minimize & the most important query is, how will this loss (which runs into tons) be accounted for..multiply this by the variety of godown’s & nicely…based on sources, it has been happening for a while now…,” Jakhar stated. “Simply yesterday, there have been full web page adverts of Corruption free Punjab in all newspapers, nicely, Bhagwan Mann saab, please ask the Vigilance Bureau to research, by some means they missed this rip-off,” he added within the submit.
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