Wheat scam: IAS Meena surrenders before ACB

After absconding for one month, Indian administrative service officer Nirmala Meena on Wednesday surrendered at the special unit office of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in connection with misappropriation of PDS wheat worth Rs 8 crore.

“She came to our office and surrendered. We will produce her before the court on Thursday,” ACB deputy SP Jagdish Soni said. With her face covered, Meena reached the ACB’s special unit office in the afternoon.

The ACB had lodged a case against other co-accused including IAS officer Meena. The Supreme Court rejected Meena’s anticipatory bail petition on May 10.

In the case, it is alleged that Meena, while holding the charge of district supply officer, Jodhpur, illegally demanded 35,020 quintals of wheat for the purpose of distributing it to the privileged families under the National Food Security Act by falsely showing that 33,000 families increased in Jodhpur urban area. It is alleged that she sold the wheat to Swaroop Singh Rajpurohit, owner of flour mill, by producing forged bills that earned her crores of rupees.

It is further alleged that 35,020 quintals of wheat was misappropriated by Meena and other accused and even the State Government incurred a loss of crores of rupees.

ACB officials said that on May 12, FIR has also been registered in the disproportionate assets case against Meena and her husband Pawan Mittal.