Punjab: CBI Raids 30 Locations To Probe Corruption Charges Against FCI Officials

The raids are spread across several districts of Punjab, including Fatehgarh Sahib and Moga, as part of 'Operation Kanak 2', officials said.

CBI raids are conducted on the premises of grain merchants, rice mill owners, and serving and retired officials of the FCI.

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday conducted searches at 30 locations in Punjab as part of its investigation into allegations of corruption against Food Corporation of India (FCI) officials. The officials are alleged of procuring inferior grains to benefit merchants and rice millers, reported news agency PTI citing officials.

The CBI teams launched coordinated raids on the premises of grain merchants, rice mill owners, and serving and retired officials of the FCI. The raids are spread across several districts of Punjab, including Fatehgarh Sahib and Moga, as part of 'Operation Kanak 2', they said.

These raids are conducted in the second round of the FIR pertaining to an organised syndicate of officers at the FCI, who allegedly charged bribes of Rs 1,000-4,000 per truck unloaded at the FCI godowns from private millers per crop season for covering up low-quality grains supplied by them and other favours.

It is alleged that the bribes were allegedly circulated to officers in a well-defined percentage of cuts at each level, it alleged. The FIR gave details of such bribe collection in many FCI depots across Punjab.

In January, the CBI launched 'Operation Kanak' on alleged corruption in the Food Corporation of India, conducting searches at 50 locations in Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi after arresting a DGM-rank officer from Chandigarh, according to the PTI report.

The CBI booked a total of 74 accused in the FIR, including FCI Executive Director Sudeep Singh, after a six-month-long undercover operation to identify suspects in the syndicate of officials, rice mill owners and middlemen, among others who were allegedly indulging in corrupt practices, they said.

The agency alleged that huge bribe was paid to FCI officials for extending favours to the private nexus operators.