PILFERAGE OF WHEAT Nikhil Bhardwaj Ludhiana August 13 The Ludhiana rural police have booked two inspectors of Pungrain for their connivance with the thieves in the alleged pilferage of wheat meant for the poor from the godown hired by Pungrain close to Dakha. They have been identified as Maninder Pal and Simrajit Singh. SSP, Ludhiana rural, Surjit Singh said both inspectors of Pungrain were posted at the godown and the entire godown was under their supervision. “We have probed their role and came to the conclusion that without the connivance of Pungrain officials, theft could not have happened. We have now nominated them in the FIR and raids are being conducted at their whereabouts to nab them,” the SSP said. He said the investigation was still on the case and if the connivance of any other official comes to the fore, the police would pursue further in the case on merit only. Notably on August 8 night, 11 persons were arrested by the Jagroan police following a raid conducted by the District Administration in cooperation with Ludhiana rural police at a godown in Rakba village, close to Dakha, where pilfering of wheat was being done. The raid was conducted by Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Agarwal himself in the presence of SP Crime Ludhiana rural Pirthipal Singh, DFSC Rakesh Bhaskar, SDM Jagraon and other officials. The godown had around 1.20 lakh sacks of wheat weighing 30 kg each. Labourers were stealing 5 kg from each sack and then putting water into the sacks to keep the official weight intact. The godown existed on the premises of Radha Rani Shellers. Sources said that the police have also written to the Pungrain to seek last Property Verification (PV) detail of the godown and names of officials who conducted the same.

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