Press Trust of India
Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch of Orissa police Saturday arrested two rice mill owners on charge of misappropriation of rice worth Rs 3 crore, police said.
The arrested were identified as Pankaj Agrawalla, Director of Ganapati Parboiling Industries in Bhadrak and Dillip Kumar Agrawalla, Managing Director of Sabitri Industries in Jajpur. Pankaj is a resident of Chowbazar, Baraka in West Burdwan district of West Bengal.
According to Crime Branch DGP B K Sharma, the rice mill owners were arrested based on the FIR registered by Orissa State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC) in connection with the failure in delivery of rice.
The OSCSC had entrusted 6,604 quintal paddy to Ganapati Industries under the decentralisation procurement scheme of the Centre. However, the mill delivered 36.39 quintal of rice, making the state exchequer lose Rs 1.22 crore.
Similarly, Dillip Agrawalla was entrusted with 62,239 quintal of paddy, but he had delivered 24,402.12 quintal of rice during the year 2016, swindling away the remaining 17.92 quintal of rice. In the process, Agarwalla had allegedly misappropriated Rs 2,97,93,570.
While Pankaj Agarwalla will be produced before a local court in West Burdwan and brought on transit remand to be produced before SDJM, Bhadrak, Dillip will be produced before the JMFC, Chandikhol in Jajpur district, EOW sources said.
