PEDDAPALLI

An inter-state paddy transportation racket has surfaced in Peddapalli district where large quantities of paddy were illegally brought from Maharashtra and other districts and falsely projected as locally procured produce through the Mallepalli Paddy Procurement Centre (PPC) in Manthani mandal.

The scam came to light after the Secretary of the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS), Manthani, M. Ashok Kumar, lodged a complaint with the Manthani police on Thursday alleging manipulation of procurement records and fraud at the Mallepalli PPC.

Based on the complaint, the police registered a case against 11 persons, including Mallepalli PPC in-charge, B Sandeep, tab operator, Thati Naresh, and Manthani PACS Staff Assistant S. Naresh.

According to the complaint, the accused allegedly committed fraud by generating and using fake truck chits of the Mallepalli PPC to manipulate the government procurement system, causing substantial loss to the State exchequer, undermining the interests of farmers.

Officials seized 2,213 bags of paddy weighing 885.20 quintals, valued at around ₹20.97 lakh.

Further investigation revealed that the accused had allegedly generated and used a total of eight fake truck chits, showing transportation of 5,421 bags of paddy, weighing 2,168.40 quintals, with an estimated value of ₹51.39 lakh.

A case has been registered against the 11 accused under Sections 318 (4), 316 (4), 316 (5), 338, 61 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is on.