2.6 lakh kg rice stolen using scooters; CBI files FIR

New Delhi, August 12

Can a motorcycle be used to transport over 16,000 kg rice? As bizarre as it may sound, some officials of the FCI and a private company allegedly stole over 2.60 lakh kg rice worth about Rs 85 lakh by falsely showing that the consignment was transported in trucks by submitting licence numbers of scooters and motorcycles.

The CBI has taken over the investigation into the matter and registered an FIR on a complaint from the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

It was alleged that a total of 9,191 quintal (9,19,100 kg) rice were dispatched from Salchapra rail terminal in Assam for Koirengei in Manipur from March 7-22, 2016, on 57 trucks of a private transporter, Zenith Enterprises. Each truck was given a road movement permit.

The consignment reached the destination after two months, having covered a distance of 275.5 km, which takes around nine hours.

Verification showed that 2601.63 quintal (2,60,163 kg) rice worth Rs 84.98 lakh being transported by 16 vehicles had been misappropriated.

This rice was not delivered at Koirengei depot but was shown in records as having been received, the FIR alleged. The transporter on affidavit said the delay was due to breakdown of trucks which required transhipment of the foodgrain through other trucks.

It further surfaced that licence numbers of transhipment vehicles, replacing trucks which had allegedly broken down, were not trucks but LML and Honda Activa scooters, motorcycles, water tankers, bus, Maruti van, cars and ghost vehicles whose numbers had not been even registered by the Road Transport Offices concerned.

The licence numbers records showed that two tranches of 16,300 kg and 10,000 kg of missing rice were transported by scooters and another tranche of 16,300 kg of stolen rice was transported by a motorcycle, they said. — PTI

9-hour distance in 2 months

• A total of 9,191 quintal (9,19,100 kg) rice were dispatched from Assam for Koirengei in Manipur from March 7-22, 2016 on 57 trucks of a private transporter
• The consignment reached the destination after two months, having covered a distance of 275.5 km, which takes around nine hours
• Verification showed that 2601.63 quintal (2,60,163 kg) rice worth Rs 84.98 lakh being transported by 16 vehicles had been misappropriated