PDS rice smuggling: HC dismayed over a set of persons detained on rotation basis

Chennai

A division bench comprising Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice P Rajamanickam on perusing a report submitted by the State about a detenu, whose family had moved an habeas corpus plea, that he collected 13.5 Quintals of PDS rice (27 bags X 50 Kgs) for almost four days from more than five persons with family cards, to be sold in other States, where PDS rice is not given free of cost, said “It is impossible to believe that the detenu collected as much as 13.5 Quintals of rice from five or more than five families.”

Also, the bench on observing that we heard from the media that PDS rice is being diverted to other States in railway wagons said, “Without the connivance of higher officials, who are entrusted with the sovereign function of distribution of PDS rice, it is not possible for smuggling such huge quantum of rice and only people who carry small quantity of rice are being targeted.”

“It is also brought to the notice of this court by the petitioner’s counsel that the detenu is one of the person who is regularly detained under this Act in rotation and it is not only the petitioner, there are 150 to 200 people, who are detained in rotation by the officials only for the purpose of showing the statistics, as if they are prompt in taking action against the offending people,” the bench added.

Posing questions ranging from the number of ration card holders getting free rice, the quantity of rice each card holder gets, the number of civil supplies officials that have been booked for diverting rice meant for public distribution and the number of complaints received about failure to receive free rice, the bench also said “It is brought to the notice of this court that the rice, which is distributed under PDS is double boiled rice. It is also stated that the double boiled rice is procured only to see that the rice is stored for long time and it does not get spoiled.”

Posing as many as 20 questions, the bench posted the case to November 1 for further hearing.

The hearing pertains to a habeas corpus plea challenging the detention of person under the Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act of 1980.