Rs 1.39 crore paddy scam in Mancherial: One held, 12 absconding

Police in Mancherial arrested one person in connection with a Rs 1.39 crore fraud involving fabricated paddy procurement records. The scam, linked to a rice mill and traders from Maharashtra, targeted Civil Supplies Department funds.

Mancherial: Police arrested one person for allegedly misappropriating Rs 1.39 crore from the Civil Supplies Department by fabricating records of paddy procurement at a centre in Jaipur mandal on Saturday. Twelve others involved in the fraud remain absconding.

According to police, the arrested person, Thatipalli Saikumar of Jaipur mandal headquarters, played a key role in the scam that took place at a paddy procurement centre catering to Narsingapur and Maddulapalli villages.

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A case has been registered against 13 persons following a complaint from Civil Supplies Department officials, and a special team has been constituted to trace the remaining accused.

Preliminary investigation revealed that owners of a newly established rice mill, in collusion with traders from Maharashtra, forged documents showing excess paddy procurement worth Rs 1.39 crore.

The group reportedly siphoned off funds by inflating procurement figures. Vigilance and Task Force officials have initiated an inquiry into the large-scale misappropriation.