New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) In a startling case of paddy procurement scam running into crores, an in-charge of a paddy procurement centre in Mahasamund district of Chhattisgarh was apprehended by the district police on Thursday.

The accused, Gangadhar Jagat, who has been put behind bars now, is accused of embezzling 3,742 quintals (9,355 sacks) of paddy belonging to farmers.

The nature of the multi-crore paddy scam by the paddy procurement centre in charge has sent shockwaves through the co-operative societies, administrative circles, and also the political corridors of the state.

He was nabbed after discrepancies were found in the documented paddy stock and the actual grain, following a complaint lodged at the Basna Police Station by Usat Kumar Pradhan (Branch Manager, District Cooperative Central Bank Ltd., Pirda) on May 27.

The police complaint stated that a shortage of 3,742 quintals (9,355 sacks) of coarse paddy was discovered during a physical verification conducted by an administrative inquiry team at the Bamhani Paddy Procurement Center.

The accused in charge of the Centre allegedly pilfered the paddy sacks over a period of time, resulting in a sharp mismatch between the procured and actual stock. The total value of the paddy scam amounted to ₹1.16 crores.

Following the discovery, a case was registered at Basna Police Station under Section 316(5) of the BNS, and the accused was sent on judicial remand.

Acting on the directives of senior officials, the District Police in Mahasamund—aiming to effectively curb economic crimes, corruption, and the embezzlement of government property, and to take strict action against offenders—is taking prompt legal action based on continuous complaints and intelligence received.

Gangadhar Jagat, the prime accused as well as In-charge of the Paddy Procurement Center, was subjected to interrogation today.

During interrogation, he confessed to the crime. Based on the investigation report and upon finding sufficient evidence against him, he was duly arrested and produced before the Court, which remanded him to judicial custody.

The investigation regarding the roles and involvement of other individuals is currently underway.

–IANS

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