Manipur transporter hatches white mischief

More than 16,000 kg of rice on a scooter, 9,987 kg in a Maruti van, 20,791 kg of rice in a bus and another 20,671 kg in a water tanker: These transportation heroics allegedly took place in the Northeast a few months ago.

The transporter, based in Manipur, also sent a hefty bill to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for the effort, which would have definitely made him the king of long-distance transportation, if only it was true.

It now turns out that these mind-boggling feats were simply on paper, and that the FCI had been gypped by unscrupulous FCI officials and the transporter.

Now, both the transporter and four FCI officials are facing heat from the CBI for their claims, after an enquiry found that 2.90 lakh kg (2,901.63 quintals) of rice worth Rs 84.98 lakh, which they claimed to have transported, never reached the destination.

The elaborate scam came to light when FCI officials found out that almost one-third of 9,091 quintals of rice sent dispatched from Assam’s Salchapra between March 7, 2016 and March 23, 2016 did not reach Koirengei in Imphal.

For the undelivered rice, the transporter Johnson Keishing of Imphal-based Zenith Enterprises brazenly raised a bill of Rs 9.71 lakh, taking the FCI’s total loss to Rs 94.69 lakh.

According to records, the transporter was given road movement permits (RMP) for 57 trucks. The delivery of 9,091 quintals took place almost two months later, between 11 May 2016 and 24 May, 2016. Through sworn affidavits, the transporter attributed the delay to breakdown of trucks en-route to Koirengei.

However, according to a CBI FIR registered last Friday, the delivery of 2,901.63 quintals was only on paper.

The enquiry found that the vehicles mentioned in 16 of the 57 road movement permits were “not trucks but bus, water tanker, Activa scooter, LML scooter, Maruti vans, cars or vehicle numbers not registered” with concerned transport office, the FIR claimed. Also, there were no records of these vehicles crossing the Leingangpoki and Keithelmanbi police check posts.

According to the CBI, two officials in Salchapra and Koirengei allegedly forged records to help the embezzlement. The two officials in Salchapra – Ashik Kumar Paul and Rajnish Kumar Gupta – “fraudulently” issued 16 road movement permits without loading the rice while a transporter’s staffer, identified as L Johnson, signed on these at the time of loading, the FIR claimed. At Koirengei, officials Ruhini Kumar and N Sudhir Singh allegedly made false entries showing receipt of the consignments.

Another staffer identified as Soibam Surjit Singh allegedly submitted false affidavits regarding the breakdown of the trucks en-route and transhipment by other vehicles.

With the entire episode turning out to be false, the CBI has registered cases under sections of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, falsification of accounts, criminal misconduct and corruption against the accused.