PIL demands CBI probe into foodgrain scam

Alleging that senior officials involved in illegally exporting foodgrains to Nepal and Bangladesh are enjoying plum postings,Chaturvedi appealed to the court to get the scam probed by the CBI.

“In 2001,the scam concerning illegal export of foodgrain worth Rs 457 crore from Gonda and Sitapur came to light. Subsequent inquiry and media reports,however,suggested that the scam may have not been confined to the two districts,” said K K Singh,petitioner’s counsel. This led Chaturvedi to move the High Court in 2005 and demand a CBI probe.

“When the state government admitted that scam could be to the tune of Rs 35,000 crore and more districts could have been involved,the High Court had ordered the CBI to probe the case in 2007,” said Singh.

The CBI’s failure to submit the probe report,however,prompted Chaturvedi to move Supreme Court this year. The court,while disposing the petition asked Chaturvedi to move the High Court first.

On Wednesday,CBI counsel Bireshwar Nath submitted that the agency was probing the scam in two districts — Lakhimpur Khiri and Ballia.

“We have prayed that all districts of the state be included in the probe,” said Singh.

A Division Bench of Justices Pradeep Kant and Ritu Raj Awasthi posted the matter for hearing in the next week. It also recommended a change in bench as one of the judges had contested as a Union government representative in the similar matter when it was filed earlier.