Chandigarh, April 9 – The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mohali, Punjab, has convicted and sentenced 11 individuals, including Rajesh Ranjan, the then District Manager of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), to three years of rigorous imprisonment with a total fine of ₹3.3 lakh in a 20-year-old corruption case.
The other individuals convicted are Azad Singh, the then Deputy Manager; D.K. Sharma and Gian Singh, both former Assistant Managers of the FCI stationed in Faridkot; Raj Kumar, R.C. Puri, Gulab Singh, Pitambir Singh, and G.P.S. Kalra, all former Technical Assistants of the FCI stationed in Moga; and two private individuals, Govinder Singh, a partner of M/s Punjab Rice and General Mills in Moga, and Pardeep Bansal, a partner of R.P. Agro Industries.
The CBI registered the case immediately on January 7, 2006, against officials of the FCI, ranging from the Senior Regional Manager of the Punjab region to Technical Assistants, along with certain rice millers.
The allegations pertain to the Kharif season of 2004-05, wherein substandard rice consignments were allegedly accepted by FCI officials in the Punjab region from various rice millers, falsely shown as "A" grade, and payments were released accordingly.
Subsequently, consignments dispatched to different states were either rejected or accepted as substandard, resulting in significant financial loss to the FCI.
The case specifically pertains to the Moga depot.
After investigation, the CBI filed a charge sheet on November 28, 2008, against them.
The court, after the trial, convicted and sentenced them accordingly.