FCI gang could pull Rs 2-5 cr bribe from each depot: CBI

The CBI has alleged the Punjab-based syndicate of officials of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) could have been making Rs 2-5 crore in bribe from private millers in each depot in a crop season and the amount was distributed among all ranks under a well-greased system.

According to the CBI FIR, an organised syndicate of FCI officers charged bribes ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 4,000 per truck unloaded at godowns from private millers to cover up lower quality grains supplied by them and to extend other favours.

The bribes were distributed among officers at every level reaching up to the headquarters in a well-defined percentage of cuts at each level, it alleged.

The FIR, seen by PTI, shows details of such bribe collection in many FCI depots across Punjab.

Officials ranging from technical assistants to executive directors were allegedly part of the syndicate, they said.

"The bribe amount is collected at the depot level by FCI officials on a per truck basis being unloaded at the FCI depot during storage of grains. Thereafter this bribe amount is distributed to the different ranks of FCI," the CBI has alleged.

In one FCI depot in Sangrur division, the CBI received information that around 14,000 trucks are unloaded in the food storage depot (FSD) in Sunam in a crop season and Rs 1,600 per truck are received as bribe from private millers, the FIR alleged.

In Chandigarh division, the CBI alleged that accused FCI Manager Satish Verma and AGM Sukanta Kumar Jena directed Technical Assistant Nishant Barria posted at the Fatehgarh Sahib depot to collect Rs 1,050 per truck as bribe, of which Rs 200 was for general manager, Rs 50 for each of the four DGMs, Rs 20 for RO Labs and Rs 100 for the executive director and headquarter-level officers, the FIR alleged.

It alleged that Rs 450 per truck were kept by Jena himself while the rest was kept for miscellaneous work.

The agency also received information that technical assistants in Chandigarh Division were also collecting Rs 4,000 per truck, from which Rs 100 per truck is for munim (clerk) at depot level, Rs 1000-1050 is for "central pool", Rs 1000 for Manager (quality control), Rs 200 for local expenses and remaining Rs 1600-1700 for the technical assistants themselves, it alleged.

Such collections were detected across Punjab during a six-month-long undercover operation, Kanak, by the CBI, resulting in a massive crackdown on the syndicate on Wednesday.

During the operation, 99 locations -- 90 in Punjab and nine in other states -- were searched, and three persons including two FCI officials -- DGM Rajiv Kumar Mishra and Manager Satish Verma -- were arrested.

It is alleged that Mishra gave a "free hand" to Verma to collect bribes in Chandigarh Division.

The FIR also gives details of alleged bribery by Ravinder Singh Khera of Guru Kripa Rice and Agro Industries, arrested in the operation. Khera allegedly stored low-quality grains at FSD Kundli in conspiracy with FCI officials.

The agency alleged that Khera was allegedly greasing the palms of FCI officials from Technical Assistants to the then Executive Director Sudeep Singh.

It alleged that Khera in connivance with retired FCI AGM Meher Singh made a bribe payment of Rs 10 lakh to Sudeep Singh, named in FIR as the accused.

They also gave an Apple watch worth Rs 49,800 to Sudeep Singh at his residence in Barakhamba Lane in the national capital on October 19, 2022, the FIR alleged.

The FIR has given a detailed narrative of bribe payments made by various rice millers, grain merchants, etc. to FCI officials.

In pursuance of the said conspiracy, FCI officers showed undue favours to private millers/shellers and grain merchants in the procurement, operation, and maintenance of silo complexes by procuring low-quality food grains and sending those to different parts of the country to avoid detection, it alleged.

When the low-quality grains were detected, the officials covered up during the inquiry to avoid blacklisting defaulter shellers in return for regular bribes from private millers and grain merchants causing loss to the exchequer.

The CBI agency has named a total of 74 accused in the FIR, including FCI Executive Director Sudeep Singh, officials, rice mill owners, and middlemen who were allegedly indulging in corrupt practices, they said.

The role of senior officers of the Punjab government is also under scanner for running 'benami' warehouses outsourced to the FCI.

Among the 74 accused, 34 are serving officials, three are retired, 17 are private people, and 20 entities, officials said.