84,950 kg wheat, rice seized in Delhi

NEW DELHI - About 84,950 kg of wheat and rice were seized and six people were arrested Friday on charges of selling in the black market the commodities meant for deprived sections, police said.

Police seized 61,900 kg of wheat and 23,050 kg of rice in 1,699 packets, besides impounding six trucks, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) H.G.S. Dhaliwal said.

Jagdhish Prashad, an owner of a fixed price shop in south Delhi’s Pushp Vihar, was involved in blackmarketing of wheat and rice. He did so in connivance with a contractor and some government officials, Dhaliwal said.

“A raid was conducted at the Maha Durga ShivShakti Store, out of the six trucks, three trucks were loaded with wheat bags and three trucks containing wheat bags were found unloaded in the said shop,” he said.

Prashad and five others were arrested. “He used to purchase wheat and rice through brokers who are having a nexus with some officials of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the civil supplies department. This racket is operating for a long time and a number of brokers, contractors and card holders were involved in it,” Dhaliwal said.

Prashad was allegedly selling wheat and rice to various floor mills and shops at higher prices, added Dhaliwal.

Dhaliwal said Prashad suffered heavy losses in various businesses and was looking for a business with easy money.

“He was in search of a business which can earn him easy money. He came in contact with one of his old friends, Suby Singh Mallik, who was having a fixed price shop in Pushp Vihar. Mallik himself was not interested in running the shop as the number of card holders was too low to have big profits. Prashad asked him if he could run the shop, to which Mallik agreed,” Dhaliwal said.

While he was running the shop, Dhaliwal claimed, Prashad came in contact with Pappu, a contractor with the civil supplies department, who was allegedly involved in blackmarketing of foodgrain.

According to police, enquiries were made about the license of the shop but Prashad failed to produce the license.