By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Following the recent questioning of Laitumkhrah area wholesaler L Surong, the State Police has established that it was the former wholesaler Weston Nonghuloo, who is involved in the diversion of the PDS rice into the black market.
Police have also been able to establish that Nonghuloo is actually the younger brother of Surong who is being made a ‘scapegoat’ in the racket.
Replying to a query, a senior police official informed that the Western’s actual surname was Surong.
“But for some dubious reason he (Weston) has been using the surname of Nonghuloo,” the police official said on Friday, while adding, “The present wholesaler, who is about 75 years of age, is totally unaware of this racket.”
“She (Surong) is too old to be involved in this kind of fraud. We strongly feel that he (Weston) is only misusing her name for his evil deeds,” the official said.
Meanwhile, a senior Government on Friday questioned the decision of the Food and Civil Supplies department to give the wholesale license/contract to the family member of a person who had earlier been caught by the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Khliehriat Circle on November 15, 2010 for allegedly selling PDS rice to a businessman based at Sookilo in Jaintia Hills district.
The official pointed out that it was clearly evident that the department staffs were also involved in this racket.
“Without the involvement of the people of the department it is impossible for Weston to get the wholesaler contract under his sister’s name after his own contract was terminated,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
The official also informed that the Central Government allots rice of very high quality under the PDS. But the beneficiaries receive poor quality rice due to manipulation by the wholesaler who divert the PDS rice into the black market and then buy rice of inferior quality from the open market to supply to the beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, police believes that there are more people involved in this racket.
Sources informed that police have widened the investigation looking at all possible angles to get to the bottom of the PDS scam in East Khasi Hills.
Four persons have been arrested so far in this connection which include two city-based businessmen Nitesh Agarwal and Nand Kishore Agarwal, from whose godown a huge seizure of PDS food items were made.
