The Panvel City police have seized 110 tonnes of rice worth ₹33 lakh, meant for distribution to the needy during the pandemic, from a godown in Palaspa, Panvel.
Based on a tip-off, police and revenue officials raided Take Care Logistic in Palaspe on July 31, where they found 2,220 sacks of rice with the labels — Asian Rice, Food Corporation of India, Government of Punjab, and Government of Haryana.
The accused, who are absconding, have been identified as Bhimashankar Rangnath Khade, Iqbal Kazi and Lakshman Chandra Patel. “They got the stock from Solapur and had planned to export it,” senior police inspector Ajay Landge said.
Mr. Khade, who hails from Barshi in Solapur, would get the stock while Mr. Kazi, a resident of Panvel who is the director of the warehouse, used to store the stock. Mr. Patel was responsible for exporting the rice.
“Prima facie, the stock was brought to the godown four days back,” Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone II, Ashok Dudhe, said, adding that invoices found indicate it was to be exported on Monday and Tuesday.
“The rice is exported to Madagascar, Dhaka and Qatar,” assistant police inspector Nilesh Rajput said.
Police said the rice was purchased at ₹3 per kg and sold at ₹30. The accused would swap the sacks bearing government labels to those with ‘Asian Rice’ on them. They have been booked under the Essential Commodities Act.
