Driver held for stealing foodgrain

The Wadala Truck Terminal (TT) police on Thursday registered an FIR against a man suspected to be involved in the pilferage of foodgrains meant for the public distribution system (PDS). The accused, a truck driver, was supposed to distribute 180 quintals of wheat to various godowns in the city.

The accused, identified as Jaishankar Yadav in his fifties, is allegedly a licensed driver with the rationing department of the city. According to an officer at Wadala TT police station, the incident came to light when someone reported a truck parked in a suspicious location. “A social worker called the control room to inform that a truck full of sacks of food grain was parked in a deserted area. We then sent a team to check the scene and found the driver loitering around the truck and brought him to the police station,” said an officer.

When questioned, Yadav revealed that he was entrusted with the job of distributing the sacks of wheat to various fair price shops and warehouses. “He had left Borivali in the morning and was to reach Matunga by evening but he claims that when he went to some fair price shops they refused to take the food grains citing some issue in the signature of the officer concerned,” said the source. “Hence, he decided to rest for the night and return to Borivali and talk to his superiors on Thursday morning,” the officer said.

After detaining the accused, the police personnel intimated the ration supply department who then visited the police station. “The truck had left the warehouse with 180 quintals of wheat and the officials from the rationing department are investigating if anything is missing. The drivers have a strict deadline to deliver food grains and have to fill in a timesheet; this is to avoid any suspicious activity in connection with the supply of foodgrains. Since the driver was delayed and did not even deliver the goods, the case has been registered,” the officer added.