Three FCI staff members among five arrested for stealing 450 bags of rice in Puducherry

PUDUCHERRY: Three staff members of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), a contractor and a driver have been arrested on charges of stealing 450 bags of rice, worth Rs 8 lakh, from the FCI depot at Thiruvandarkoil in Puducherry. Each bag weighed 50kg.

The arrested people have been identified as manager Sunil Kumar, depot in-charge D Gunalan, weighbridge in-charge Gukul Raj, contractor G Jayaseelan and truck driver Marudhu.

Police traced the stolen rice bags loaded on a truck and handed the bags over to the corporation.

FCI divisional manager (Cuddalore) Mamta Rani lodged a complaint with Thirubhuvanai police stating that an empty truck, which entered the depot around noon on Jan 23 after recording the tare weight, left the depot at 3.50pm on the same day with 450 rice bags. The weight of the loaded truck was not recorded at the weighbridge. Hence, the loaded truck went out, but the 450 bags were not accounted for, causing a loss for the public exchequer.

She said the suspicion arose due to the remarks mentioned on the outward register as 'sent out after not loading'. This indicates the involvement of the contractor, the driver and FCI staff members at the depot. She requested police to investigate it thoroughly, recover the FCI stock and arrest the culprits involved in the crime.