Home / Crime and Justice / Punjab Rice Scam: 30 Convicted in 2004-05 Corruption Case
Punjab Rice Scam: 30 Convicted in 2004-05 Corruption Case
14 Nov
Summary
- Thirty individuals convicted, including 14 FCI officials, in a 2004-05 Punjab rice scam.
- Convicts sentenced to 1-3 years imprisonment for criminal conspiracy and cheating.
- Substandard rice was accepted, leading to wrongful payments and losses to the corporation.
In a significant development, a special CBI court in Mohali has convicted 30 individuals in connection with the 2004-05 Punjab rice procurement scam. Among those found guilty are 14 officials from the Food Corporation of India (FCI), alongside private rice millers.
The scam involved a criminal conspiracy where substandard rice was accepted as Grade-A at FCI procurement centres. This illicit practice led to wrongful financial payments to the millers, resulting in substantial losses for the corporation.
Sentences for the convicted range from one to three years of rigorous imprisonment. The court also imposed fines on all convicted parties. The convictions were pronounced across three separate cases, targeting irregularities in Malerkotla, Sunam, and Tapa.
The CBI had registered a case in January 2006 following surprise checks in September 2005, which revealed the quality discrepancies. Laboratory tests confirmed that the rice samples failed to meet the prescribed standards, leading to the subsequent chargesheets and trials.
