Gang of 'fair price shop' cheats busted in Amreli

By Nischal Sanghavi

The group sold commodities worth Rs 77 lakh in open market after installing a software that would bypass Aadhar and biometric verification

A group of people running fair price shops in Amreli taluka of Gujarat used illegal software to cheat fair price shops of lakhs of rupees worth of commodities by selling them in the open market.

Police Inspector Dr L K Jethwa, who has been investigating the case, has found during primary investigation that the illegal activity was going on for over six months in towns like Jafrabad, Dhari, Rajula and Amreli of Amreli district. The group that ran 16 fair price shops in Amreli taluka stole the grains supplied by the government to be provided to ration card holders at subsidised rates. “This group of fraudsters purchased a software from a Rajasthan-based person. The software could bypass Aadhar card verification and biometric thumb impressions,” Jethwa said.

As per fair price shop owner Brijesh Shah, wheat, rice, sugar and kerosene are sold to underprivileged beneficiaries at a highly subsidised rate. “The beneficiaries who come to buy the commodities are required to carry out their Aadhar card and bio-metric verification before they are given the subsidised commodities,” Shah said.

However, this gang in Amreli showed that the goods were bought by beneficiaries, by bypassing their bio-metric and Aadhar verification. “After stealing the goods meant for poor, they sold it at market prices and thereby earning a sizeable sum,” Jethwa said.

It is estimated that they have already sold 1.27 lakh kg wheat costing Rs 44.67 lakh, more than 60,000 kg rice costing Rs 21,58,000, 7,000+ kg sugar worth Rs 2.6 lakh and 33,178 kg kerosene worth more than Rs 11 lakh which was meant to be given to poor benefeciaries. In all, the fraudsters sold more than Rs 75 lakh worth of commodities which was meant for poor, in the open market.

The police have already got concrete evidence against six people. The accused were produced in the court on Friday and have been remanded in police custody for 10 days. Apart from that 16 other people are also under the scanner of police as suspects. After the mamlatdar of Rajula filed the complaint, police probe uncovered the scam. Based on the complaint, Dhari collector set up a joint team of police and civil supplies officers who will submit a report. The accused will be tried under Essential Commodities Act and if proved guilty can be jailed for 7 years.