A court in Bijnor has mandated the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against four officials from Amroha district, including a district supply officer and a mandi samiti secretary. This action follows serious allegations of embezzling wheat meant for a farmer's daughter's wedding and orchestrating a fraudulent auction, resulting in significant financial damage.
The Alleged Seizure and Discrepancy
The case revolves around farmer Mohd Mehtab. In November 2024, he was transporting 119.5 quintals of wheat for his daughter's wedding. According to his complaint, supply inspector Shaudan Singh and an aide intercepted his vehicle under what Mehtab calls "false pretences." The officials, however, recorded only 100 quintals in the official seizure documents, creating an immediate shortfall of 19.5 quintals of wheat.
A Fabricated Auction and Deepening Corruption
The situation worsened when, despite a pending court application for the wheat's release, mandi secretary Arvind Kumar reportedly proceeded to auction the remaining stock. The auction price was set at a meagre Rs 1,800 per quintal, substantially below the prevailing market rate of Rs 2,600. This decision allegedly caused Mehtab "heavy financial losses." Investigations took a dramatic turn when the named buyer in the auction records, Mohd Sabir, denied any knowledge of the transaction, leading authorities to conclude the auction was completely "fabricated."
Court Intervention and Official Charges
After local police initially refused to act on the farmer's complaint, the chief judicial magistrate intervened. The court directed the police in Rajabpur to investigate the matter as a criminal conspiracy. Following this order, an FIR was officially registered. The officials have been booked under section 316 (5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). They stand accused of misappropriating government-held property and defrauding a resident of approximately Rs 70,000.
The accused include the district supply officer, the mandi samiti secretary, supply inspector Shaudan Singh, and his aide. This case highlights the challenges farmers can face with local authorities and the critical role of the judiciary in ensuring accountability.
