Sunday, June 29, 2008

FCI rice bags for Mizoram off-loaded near Silchar

Aizawl, Jun 29 : A truck bearing the number MZ-05-0202, which was loaded with 380 bags of rice from Ramnagar FCI near here, meant for Lunglei FCI in Mizoram for public distribution system was off-loaded at Syedpur village along the Silchar-Aizawl Highway, 8 km away, last night.

On a specific tip-off, a police team from Rangirkhari police outpost reached the spot and took control of the truck to discover that 69 bags of rice had already been unloaded and stocked in the house of one identified as Hussain Uddin Laskar.
Police arrested the driver of the truck Jamal Uddin and labourer Sahabuddin Laskar, engaged in off-loading of the rice bags. Hussain Uddin Laskar and the handyman of the truck, who were involved in the illegal operation, however, evaded arrest and are absconding. Investigating officer SR Barbhuiya, found prima facie involvement and collusion of Hussain, Jamal Uddin and the handyman in the murky affair.

On the basis of the statement of the driver, Ashok Sarda, owner of the truck, a businessman of Janiganj was also taken into custody. Later, he was released. It turned out that the statement of the driver was fabricated to implicate Sarda in order to extricate himself from being arrested.

Barbhuiya said, after investigation and interrogation, an FIR has been filed against the accused and chargesheet framed against them. Officer-in-charge of the police outpost is now looking into the case for initiating legal action against them under relevant provisions of the law.

T Deshmukhya, Divisional Manager of FCI, when contacted said, “once the consignment of rice or any foodgrain is taken out of our godown, our responsibility is over”. Insiders in FCI say, pilferages of rice and wheat as well as sugar all the way from Guwahati to Silchar and beyond on road or train are masterminded by unscrupulous elements, who have virtually floated a syndicate and hardly care for any deterrent action.

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