Mangalore: Lokayukta unearths major scam in ration supply - three officials arrested

Pics: Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Mar 2: The Lokayukta officials on Saturday March 2 night raided the office of food and civil supplies department in the city and unearthed a major scam.

Three officials - food and civil supplies district manager Muralidhar Rao, Shaktinagar gowdown manager Puttalingaiah and Beltangady manager Jeevandar Ajari were caught on charges of committing fraud in supply of items meant for ration.

It is said that Muralidhar Rao would get the supply of good quality rice and wheat from the government and divert them to flour mills in exchange for poor quality rice and wheat, which in turn would be directed for ration.

Jeevandar and Puttalingaiah too used to indulge in this practice and pay a percentage of the money to Muralidhar, it is said.

In addition, the three were also being paid by the flour mills for the supply of good quality of rice and wheat.

On Saturday, acting on authentic information that the three would be holding a meeting, the Lokayukta officials raided the spot and recovered Rs 44,000 in cash. The total loss caused due to the scam is yet to be ascertained.

Speaking to daijiworld, one of the officials who was part of the raid said that the money seized would have been a much bigger amount had they waited for a couple more days to conduct the raid, as more money was supposed to exchange hands by day 5 or 6 of the month.

However, he explained that it was not possible to wait as a meeting of the accused had been scheduled for Saturday which had to be busted.

Sources said that the three have been indulging in this practice in Sullia, Puttur and other places also.

All three were produced before the magistrate and remanded in judicial custody for three days.

Lokayukta SP Mohandas, DySP Vittaldas Pai, inspectors Dilip, Umesh Shet and other personnel were part of the raid.