A police team, headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police, Shorapur Sub-Division, Javeed Inamdar, carried out a raid in the early hours of Friday on Lakshmi Venkateshwara Rice Mill in Gurmitkal town and seized 700 quintals of rice meant for distribution among beneficiaries through the public distribution system (PDS) but stored illegally.
Mr. Inamdar confirmed that the mill belongs to Raju Rathod, brother of Manikanth Rathod, a BJP leader who has been accused of transporting PDS rice illegally. However, Raju Rathod was not present when the raid was carried out.
The value of the seized rice has been estimated at ₹23 lakh.
The police team conducted the raid based on information given by one of the accused arrested in a case of misuse of rice that was registered in the Shahapur Police Station on November 25 by the Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies after he found that 6,077 quintals of rice have gone missing from a godown of the Taluk Agricultural Produce and Marketing Cooperative Society (TAPMCS) in that town.
The police have already arrested seven accused in connection with that case. The accused are being interrogated for further information in connection with the misuse of PDS rice.
Sub-Inspectors Rajshekhar Rathod and Gajanand Biradar, who are attached to Kembhavi and Bheemarayanagudi police stations, respectively, and other staff were in the team.
