In a major development in the Phagwara government grain fraud case, authorities secured 14 days of judicial custody for Satpal Singh, an employee accused of orchestrating a large-scale misappropriation of government wheat, rice, and grain bags (bardana).
Phagwara Superintendent of Police Madhvi Sharma disclosed that Singh, a resident of Gilco Green on Hoshiarpur Road, was arrested after 1,500 empty government grain bags were recovered from his possession. Singh allegedly illegally procured bardana and used it to pack wheat flour, which he sold in the open market for personal gain.
Investigations revealed that Singh diverted wheat and rice to a private firm, Kalucha Agro, suggesting the misappropriation was part of a well-planned nexus. Another accused, Sonek Kalucha, remains absconding, with police actively pursuing his arrest.
“Multiple FIRs under relevant sections of the BNSS and the Prevention of Corruption Act have already been registered across various police stations in Kapurthala district,” SP Sharma said. She added that further interrogations may uncover additional arrests.
Singh had previously been arrested on November 7 while attempting to flee the country, following a warehouse inspection that found nearly 2,000 wheat bags missing from government records. He was then remanded to two days’ police custody after being detained at Delhi International Airport.
A complaint by Warehousing Corporation official Tejinder Kaur led to a case of criminal breach of trust and embezzlement under IPC Section 409. With fresh recoveries and multiple FIRs, police believe the investigation could expose a much larger network of fraud.
