PDS food grain seizure case: driver in police remand

EOI, DARJEELING, 6 Feb 2015: The driver of the vehicle that was impounded last night for ferrying public distribution system food grains from Darjeeling to Siliguri without valid documents has been arrested. Rangbull resident Bikash Biswakarma was driving a Swaraj Mazda truck when the police intercepted him near the Kurseong railway station. Another pickup van also loaded with PDS food grains was seized at the same spot, but the driver managed to slip away abandoning his vehicle. The absconder’s identity is yet to be ascertained.

The police said they had received information about some vehicles involved in transporting food items illegally. “We had prior information about such activity. But we were not aware that the items were PDS food grains. The estimated cost of the seized goods is about Rs1.50 lakh. One person has been arrested and produced today before the Kurseong sub-divisional court,” said a police officer not wanting to be named.

As many as 93 bags of wheat and 49 bags of rice were recovered from the two vehicles which did not have valid documents. The Kurseong ACJM court has sent Biswakarma to three days police remand for further questioning.

“Judge Kuntal Chatterjee sent the accused to three days police custody. Biswakarma has been charged of possessing stolen property,” said assistant public prosecutor Lhendup Sherpa.

The APP said the seized consignment bore the PDS seal of the state of Madhya Pradesh and that the vehicles were heading towards Siliguri from Darjeeling when they were stopped by the police. “Usually, food grains are brought to the hills from Siliguri and other areas. But in this instance it was the other way round, which is rather perplexing. This is one reason why accused has been sent to police remand,” said Sherpa.