Ahmedabad’s crime branch busted a statewide racket of fabricating duplicate bills of ration cardholders who did not avail ration from fair price shops and siphoned off huge amounts of ration, meant for the poor and needy.
According to crime branch sources, 49 accused have been booked out of which eight have been arrested and search for the remaining accused is on. “We are also hunting for those fair price owners who were hands-in-glove with the main accused,” added a senior crime branch official.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) D P Chudasma said that an offence under section 409, 465, 467, 468, 471, 120 B, 34 of IPC ( Indian Penal Code), section 66 (c) 66 (d) of IPC and section of 3 and 7 essential commodities act has been registered against the accused.
Crime branch sources said key accused Alpesh Thakkar , Rakik Mehsanai, Javed Rangrej, Latif Manesia, Mustufa Manesai, Kaushik Joshi, Deepak Thakor and Hitesh Chaudhary in connivance with middlemen and some fair price owner shops, who faked the bills of those customers who did not avail ration from the fair price shops.
“The accused used names, addresses, ration card numbers, data scan of fingerprints using data-based software to fake bills,” added a senior crime branch official.
Crime branch sources said the accused then uploaded such fake bills on efps.gujrart.gov.in.
“The ration, which was meant for the poor and needy was then sold off to other accused who are grain traders,” added a crime branch official.
ACP Chudasma said they have sent the accused for pre-arrest Covid-19 test and teams have been sent to different places to hunt for the accused.
