Cash was hidden in the washing machine… CBI recovered lakhs of rupees in FCI corruption case

CBI’s major raid in FCI corruption case, 50 locations raided in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana

CBI Operation Konak was launched on Wednesday against alleged corruption in the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and after the arrest of a DGM-level officer in Chandigarh. Punjab, Haryana And Delhi 50 places raided. 74 people, including FCI executive director Sudeep Singh, have been named as accused in the FIR following a six-month-long undercover operation into alleged collusion between FCI officials, rice mill owners and middlemen, officials said. These persons are alleged to be involved in corruption.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has said that FCI Deputy General Manager (DGM) Rajeev Kumar Mishra has been arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from a man named Ravinder Singh Kheda. The agency said the role of senior Punjab government officials in running benami warehouses contracted to FCI is also under investigation. Kheda has been sent to custody.

Cash was hidden in the washing machine

Officials said that out of 74 accused, 34 are working and three retired officers and 20 companies are involved. The agency recovered Rs 80 lakh in cash, including Rs 10 lakh from a woman officer, which was hidden in a washing machine. Sources said the agency has launched a drive against the nefarious nexus of corruption in the FCI, involving an entire chain of officials engaged in procurement, storage and distribution of food grains, rice mill owners, grain traders, etc.

Officials took bribes

The accused officials allegedly took bribes instead of favoring warehouse operators and rice mill owners in the tender process. It has also been alleged that private rice mill owners and grain traders are involved in day-to-day activities of offloading foodgrains, arranging procurement of substandard foodgrains, concealing investigations into various misdeeds, the CBI spokesperson said in a statement. etc. was bribing FCI officials.

The mill owners allegedly took substandard foodgrains to meet stock shortages, which were transported to other parts of the country. He said that rice mill owners have allegedly paid huge bribes to FCI officials, technical assistants, DGMs, AGMs and even executive directors as part of corruption.

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