2 millers among five convicted in Rs 8-crore Ferozepur paddy scam

Tribune News Service

Moga, September 23

Thirteen years after the infamous Rs 8-crore paddy scam was unearthed at Ferozepur, a local court has sentenced five accused, including two rice millers, to three-year imprisonment while acquitting four persons for lack of evidence.

Former District Food and Supplies Controller (DFSC) Sukhdev Singh had during the physical verification of the stock found two lakh bags of paddy missing at Noor Rice Mill in Kasu Begu village. These were reportedly illegally sold at Dharamkot and Jaito. The missing paddy belonged to Pungrain, a state-owned food procurement agency.

The DFSC immediately lodged an FIR at the Ferozepur (Rural) police station against rice millers Inder Neel Singh and Satwinder Singh and their associates Sukhdev Singh, Gurbhej Singh, Jora Singh, Manjit Singh, Mangal Singh, Lakhwinder Singh, Kirpal Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Balwinder Singh and a few others.

Interestingly, during the investigation, the police implicated the DFSC and a few other officials of the Food and Civil Supplies Department in the case.

Suspecting the dubious role of the police, the state government handed over the investigation to the Crime Branch. It gave a clean chit to the DFSC and his subordinates. The court discharged them in the case on May 19, 2017.

As many as four subsequent challans were presented in the court against all other accused.

Two accused — Kuldeep Singh and Balwinder Singh — died during the course of the trial.

The court of Dr Jasveer Singh, JMIC (First Class), while agreeing to the arguments put forth by the prosecution convicted Inder Neel Singh, Satwinder Singh, Sukhdev Singh (not the DFSC), Gurbhej Singh and Jora Singh to three-year imprisonment while the alleged co-accused Manjit Singh, Mangal Singh, Lakhwinder Singh and Kirpal Singh have been acquitted of the charges previously framed against them.

The court in its order stated, “After going through the evidence produced by the prosecution, this court is of the view that it is proved on record that accused Satwinder Singh in criminal conspiracy along with accused Inder Neel Singh, Gurbhej Singh, Jora Singh and Sukhdev Singh has committed offences under Sections 406, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120B of the IPC. However, the prosecution has miserably failed to bring on record any direct connection of Manjit Singh, Mangal Singh, Kirpal Singh and Lakhwinder Singh in the criminal conspiracy. Therefore, the benefit of doubt is given to all these accused.”

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