Three held in Hyderabad for selling PDS rice illegally

The city police busted PDS rice accumulation gang in Bhavani Nagar with the arrest of three persons in two places here while procuring and transporting rice and wheat illegally to Maharashtra to earn higher profits. The arrested persons have been identified as Sheikh Rasheed, 53, a transport businessman, Shaik Ayaz, 24, a businessman and Mohammed Akthar, 48, who is also a businessman. While Rasheed and Aayaz were residents of Bhavani Nagar, Akthar was a resident of Talabkatta, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Task Force, YVS Sudeendra.

As many as 102 quintals of PDS rice and 31.10 quintals of wheat, all worth over Rs.2.97 lakh were seized from the possession of the arrested persons. Sudeendra said Rasheed along with his son was running a transport business at Afzalgunj. Due to loss in business, Rasheed and his son Ayaz hatched a plan to earn easy money by doing illegal activity. Accordingly, Rasheed and Ayaz opted for PDS rice and wheat illegal transport business.

As per their plan, they were procuring PDS rice and wheat from the beneficiaries for Rs.12 per kg and later selling the rice for dealers -Shaik Saber of Talabkatta, Nawaz of Hyderabad and Suryakanth Mascoti of Maharashtra for Rs.20 per kg and earning money illegally. Akhtar, a resident of Bhavani Nagar, runs a grocery store at his residence. Due to insufficient profits in his business, Akhtar indulged in procuring PDS rice from local ration card beneficiaries for lower price and storing at his residence in Aman Nagar in Talabkatta. He was selling the same to a dealer Akram of Santosh Nagar for high prices and earning money illegally. Based on information, the sleuths of South Zone Task Force team with the help of Bhavani Nagar police and Civil Supplies officials nabbed Rasheed, Ayaz and Akthar while a hunt is on to trace Suryakanth and Akram.

This article has been republished from The Deccan Chronicle.