PDS rice seized in Tiruppur, man held

Staff Reporter

Officials from Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department and Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies CID held a man who allegedly smuggled public distribution system (PDS) rice in Tiruppur on Tuesday.

Based on a tip-off, the officials raided the residence of V. Thiyagarajan, 55, at Kallangadu within the Tiruppur Corporation limits on Tuesday evening.

According to S. Selvaraj, Special Tahsildar (Flying Squad) of the Supplies and Consumer Protection Department, around 1,150 kg of rice was found in multiple bags at the residence. “He must have been doing this for the past one week,” he said.

Sources said that the accused allegedly purchased the PDS rice from other residents in the locality and sold it at a higher price to migrant workers and a few restaurants. The police officials booked the accused under the provisions of Tamil Nadu Scheduled Commodities (Regulation of Distribution by Card System) Order and Essential Commodities Act on Wednesday. He was later remanded in judicial custody, according to the sources.