The High Court on Thursday dismissed a plea against a probe by Central Bureau of Investigation into misappropriation of Rs 14 crore- the value of 130 truckloads of grains of Food Corporation of India dispatched to Kashmir from Punjab during 2015-16.
The grains had gone missing on the way and never reached destination (Kashmir) causing loss to the public exchequer worth over Rs 14.74 crore.
Bench of justice M K Hanjura dismissed the petition after observing that the investigation into the case cannot be scuttled and stalled at the stage of initial probe.
“The food grains are alleged to have been loaded in scooters, tractors, HGV and motorcycles as can be seen from the record laid in the matter by the authorities of FCI,” the court observed, while dismissing the petition by Baljit Singh and another.
“The investigation will reveal as to who is/are the persons who have embezzled such a huge amount of money thereby causing such a huge embezzlement to the national exchequer,” the court said.
A special audit report committee of the Government of India (Ministry of Food) had revealed that 130 rice trucks of FCI which were dispatched to Kashmir from Punjab during 2015-16 went missing on the way and never reached destination causing loss to the public exchequer worth over Rs 14.74 crore.
The CBI had registered the FIR on a complaint filed by FCI following the investigation into the matter by a committee of FCI officers which came to the conclusion that misappropriation of 130 trucks of rice and wheat stocks weighing at least 26047 quintals valued at Rs 14 crore.
As per the compliant, the stocks of rice and wheat have been misappropriated by the transport contractors – M/s Gagan Traders and M/s Walia Goods in connivance and collusion with FCI staff, the state government officials and the private Entrepreneur Guarantor Store ( PEG) Baramulla between the dispatching depot of Bhogpur and Kartarpur under FCI district office Jalander in Punjab and Lower Munda check post in Jammu and Kashmir.
The petitioners who are running their business under the name and style of M/s Gagan traders and M/s Walia Goods had challenged the FIR registered against them by CBI which had registered the FIR on 26-9-2017 at police station CBI, ACB, Srinagar.
The FIR was registered following the compliant by Sundeep Singh Chief General Manager (Vigilance) FCI zonal office Noida. The complaint pertained to the misappropriation of rice and wheat stocks at PEG Store Baramulla against Rs 15 crore.
According to the compliant 130 trucks were missing during the reconciliation from the records at the lower Munda which were shown to have been acknowledged and also in reconciliation statements.
Assistant Solicitor General of India, Tahir Shamsi represented CBI in the case.