Cong leader, accountant arrested for misappropriating wheat worth Rs 3.5 crore in Ujjain

Warehouse operator and Congress leader Vijay Singh Gautam and his accountant Narendra Jat have been arrested for misappropriating wheat worth approximately Rs3.5 crore of Warehouse and Logistics Corporation. Both the accused were presented in court on Thursday and sent on two-day police remand. Another accused in the case, branch manager of Warehouse Corporation, is on the run.

Ghattiya police station in-charge DL Dashoriya said that the wheat purchased by Warehouse and Logistics Corporation in 2020-21 was stored at a warehouse in the village of Bachhukheda. This wheat, valued at over Rs3.5 crore, was later found missing.

District manager of the corporation, Avinash, had filed a complaint with Ghattiya police station, stating that 28,174 sacks of wheat purchased in 2020-21 were stored at Gautam Warehouse in Bachhukheda under a contract. Between June 25, 2024, and Sept 26, 2024, 16,168 sacks out of the total 28,174 sacks of 50 kg each were found missing, and the remaining sacks were found containing debris, husk, and chaff. The value of this wheat was over Rs 3.52 crore. Along with the complaint, an investigation ordered by the collector and conducted by SDM was handed over to the police, which revealed the involvement of the warehouse operator, branch manager of the corporation and an employee.

The police registered a case under various sections of BNS against warehouse operator Congress leader Vijay Singh Gautam, his accountant Narendra Jat, and the Corporation’s Khilchipur branch manager Bhagwan Patel. On Wednesday night, the police arrested Gautam along with his accountant and presented them in court on Thursday.

This article has been republished from The Times of India.