The CBI Court in Mohali, Punjab has convicted and sentenced 30 accused, including 14 officials of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and 16 private rice millers in a Punjab Rice Procurement Scam case pertaining to the year 2004-05.
According to official sources, the convicted accused were held guilty of criminal conspiracy and cheating. The 14 FCI officials were additionally convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The Court has sentenced the convicted persons to rigorous imprisonment ranging from one to three years, along with fines.
The case relates to a criminal conspiracy between FCI officials and private rice millers during Kharif Season 2004-05, wherein substandard rice was accepted as Grade-A rice at FCI centres in Malerkotla, Sunam and Tapa in District Sangrur, Punjab.
This resulted in wrongful payments to rice millers and financial loss to FCI.