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The CBI onTuesday carried out fresh searches at over 50 locations in Punjab to probe deep-rooted involvement of Food Corporation of India (FCI) officials with millers and food merchants in cash-for-grain scam.
Anti-corruption drive
Searches took place at the premises of Food Corporation of India officials, rice millers and food grain merchants at places including Mohali, Patiala, Ludhiana, Rajpura, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur, Sarhind, Ferozpur, Moga and Sonam, said CBI sources.
This is the second anti-corruption sweep from CBI after it booked 74 persons, including 37 FCI employees, in “Operation Kanak” and recovered ₹80 lakh unaccounted cash during last month raids at several locations on premises of accused in the cash-for-grain scam.
Operation Kanak-II
The agency went undercover for collection of information from May 2022 in “Operation Kanak-II” that resulted in a major crackdown on channelised corruption in which favours were extended to rice millers and food merchants for procurement of low quality grains and concealing of shortage of stocks, said CBI sources. In lieu of that, huge amount of bribe was allegedly paid to FCI officials which was shared across various levels in the Corporation, CBI sources pointed out.
The CBI had earlier arrested Rajiv Kumar Mishra, a Deputy General Manager (DGM) of FCI, and rice mill-owner Ravinder Singh Khera last month. Mishra was trapped by the agency on charges of accepting ₹50,000 from Khera, the CBI had said.
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