Jammu, November 22 (KAT): The Crime Branch (CB) has filed a charge sheet against 13 former Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department officers, including 9 Assistant Directors (ADs), 2 Chief Accounts Officers (CAOs), and 2 Tehsil Supply Officers (TSOs), in connection with a major ration scam in Jammu rural.Jammu tourism packages
A CB official said the scam involved the misappropriation of over 4.39 lakh quintals of BPL/AAY (Below Poverty Line/Antyodaya Anna Yojana) ration, valued at Rs 19.2 crore, during the years 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006.
According to him, the case was registered by the Department of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CA&PD) following an audit report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which flagged discrepancies in ration distribution.
A detailed departmental reconciliation further confirmed the misappropriation, he said.
The investigation, led by four senior officers from the Crime Branch, found that the accused had issued excess food grains beyond the authorized quota for BPL and AAY families, without justification, the Crime Branch official said, adding that the misappropriated ration was then sold or diverted, resulting in financial gains for the accused.
He claimed of the 13 accused, seven have passed away, one was granted bail, and one surrendered before the court.
The remaining four have been arrested and produced before the court, said the CB official.
The charge sheet, according to him, has been submitted to the court of the Special Judge Anti-Corruption in Jammu for judicial proceedings.Jammu tourism packages
Notably, a similar ration scam in 2004 was investigated and charged by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Crime Branch Jammu, Benam Tosh, confirmed that the investigation of the case (FIR number 21/2009) has been completed and the charge sheet filed in the court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption Jammu.(KAT)
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