Navi Mumbai: 2 booked for unlawfully stocking food grains meant for public distribution

Two people have been charged with an offence for allegedly unlawfully stockpiling rice and other food items in Navi Mumbai that were intended to be distributed through the public distribution system.

A case under the Essential Commodities Act has been registered against the accused, one of them a trader at APMC Vashi, based on a complaint lodged by officials from the rationing department on Friday, an official said.

Acting on a tip-off, when the local police and rationing department raided a godown in the APMC market on June 27, and found rice and pulses meant for PDS stocked in the premises, he said. Stock worth around Rs 40,000 was seized during the raid, the official said, adding that further probe is underway.