Chhattisgarh Paddy Procurement Scam: Arrest Made in Rs 6.55 Crore Case
Arrest in Chhattisgarh Paddy Scam
Jashpur, Jan 6: A man has been taken into custody in connection with a significant paddy procurement scam amounting to Rs 6.55 crore in Chhattisgarh, as reported by local police on Tuesday.
The irregularities were identified at the Konpara paddy procurement sub-centre located in Tumla, within Jashpur district.
Following a comprehensive report from the Nodal Officer of the Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Bank Limited, commonly referred to as Apex Bank, law enforcement has filed a first information report (FIR) and initiated an investigation.
Shishupal Yadav, a 39-year-old resident of Jharmunda village under Tumla jurisdiction, has been arrested and is currently in judicial custody.
Meanwhile, five other suspects are still at large, with search operations in progress and arrests expected shortly.
This case involves six individuals linked to the Tribal Service Cooperative Society Limited, which managed procurement during the Kharif marketing season of 2024-25.
Records show that 1,61,250 quintals of paddy were procured at the sub-centre, but only 1,40,663.12 quintals were actually transferred to mills and storage, indicating a shortfall of 20,586.88 quintals.
At the government rate of Rs 3,100 per quintal, the missing paddy represents a loss of around Rs 6.38 crore.
Additionally, 4,898 gunny bags, both new and old, valued at Rs 17.07 lakh, were found unaccounted for, bringing the total financial loss to Rs 6,55,26,979.
A joint investigation team conducted a physical verification at the site and confirmed the absence of the reported paddy stock.
Authorities suspect that the officials involved colluded to manipulate records and misappropriate the grain.
The accused include Bhuvneshwar Yadav, the authorized officer; Jaiprakash Sahu, the society manager; Shishupal Yadav, the in-charge; Jitendra Sai, the computer operator; Avinash Awasthi, the assistant in-charge; and Chandra Kumar Yadav, the deputy assistant in-charge.
The FIR was lodged under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Tumla police station on January 2 by Nodal Officer Ram Kumar Yadav.
Jashpur Senior Superintendent of Police Shashi Mohan Singh stated that immediate action was taken following the Apex Bank report highlighting extensive irregularities in paddy procurement.
He assured that the investigation is ongoing, with efforts concentrated on capturing the remaining suspects.
Authorities are also working to assess the full extent of the fraud and explore avenues for recovering the losses. The ongoing investigation aims to ensure accountability and prevent similar incidents in future procurement cycles.