Paddy worth Rs 7.45 crore siphoned off

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, June 24

Alleged misappropriation of 38,494 quintals of paddy, worth an estimated Rs 7.45 crore, from a rice mill in Faridkot, has stirred a controversy as one of the accused named by Punsup, a state-owned procurement agency, in this crime, is the son of a senior Akali leader here.

Twenty-three days after Punsup lodged a complaint with the Faridkot police, demanding registration of a criminal case against Sukhbir Singh Samra, son of Harinderjit Singh Samra, former chairman, Improvement Trust, Faridkot, and Malkit Singh, owner of a rice mill, for misappropriating the paddy, instead of registering an FIR, the Faridkot police have suggested that Punsup settle the case through negotiation and a conciliator.

Punsup had allotted 1,00,488 quintals of paddy for milling to Everest Rice Industry, Faridkot, in October, 2017. Malkit Singh is the owner of this rice mill and Sukhbir Singh Samra, owner of Samra Group of Industries, had helped Mankit Singh in the transportation and lifting of this paddy from the mandi to Everest Rice Mill in October, 2017.

As per the conditions of the agreement, the rice miller was to complete the milling process by March 31, 2018.

After Malkit Singh failed to make the delivery of the milled rice to Punsup within the stipulated time, Ajit Pal Saini, general manager, procurement, Punsup, Chandigarh, checked the stock of paddy on May 5 and found that 38,794 quintals (worth an estimated Rs 7.45 crore) were missing from the Everest Rice Industry.

Amrit Pal Singh, district manager and Hansa Singh, PDC, Punsup, Faridkot, were placed under suspension on May 15 for their negligence in this case of the missing paddy.

Alleging it to be a case of theft and embezzlement, Punsup lodged a complaint on May 31 with Faridkot police, demanding the registration of a case against Samra and Malkit Singh.

However, on June 11, Malkit Singh also gave an application to the police, denying misappropriation. He claimed that as the paddy allotted to him contained high moisture content and poor quality, the loss of the stock was due to shrinkage.

A day after, on June 12, Yadwinder Singh, DSP, Faridkot, submitted his inquiry report, supporting Malkit Singh’s theory, saying shifting 38,494 quintals of paddy from the rice mill right under the nose of the Punsup is not possible. Punsup has not produced any evidence about the use of vehicles and labour engaged in this shifting of the embezzled paddy, the DSP said in his inquiry report.

Sukhbir Samra rejected the allegations saying he has nothing to do with Everest Rice Mill and embezzlement. “I just helped a new entrant in the business in the transportation of the paddy from mandi to the rice mill. It is a plot to tarnish my family’s political image,” he alleged.

Amarpal Singh, MD, Punsup, said the paddy was found to be missing during the physical verification and it appeared to be a clear cut case of theft and embezzlement. “Besides registering a case against the accused, we have demanded that the police investigate the role of the DM and PDC.”

SSP Dr Nanak Singh said the police were seeking legal opinion on the DSP’s report for necessary action.