Telangana: PD Act invoked against rice miller for alleged ₹15.14 crore CMR diversion
The Preventive Detention (PD) Act has been invoked against a rice miller in Mancherial district for allegedly diverting custom-milled rice (CMR) on multiple occasions, causing an estimated loss of ₹15.14 crore to the State exchequer, police said on Wednesday.
Gampa Santosh Kumar, managing partner of Ramalakshman Industries Rice Mill in Lingapur village under Dandepalli mandal, was served the detention order while he was lodged at the sub-jail in Luxettipet as a remand prisoner. He was later shifted to Charlapalli Central Jail in Hyderabad, police added.
According to officials, two cases have been registered against Kumar at Dandepalli and Hajipur police stations over the alleged diversion of CMR during the 2025 and 2026 periods. The diversion involves rice that millers are required to process and deliver to the civil supplies department for public distribution.
Police said around 4,452 metric tonnes of CMR pertaining to the 2022-23 rabi and 2024-25 rabi seasons remained due from the miller. The preventive detention action is based on the repeated nature of the alleged offence and its impact on public food supplies.
The PD Act allows authorities to detain a person without trial for preventive reasons, typically to prevent future offences. Officials said the move is intended to curb the illegal diversion of essential commodities meant for the Public Distribution System.
Further investigation is underway to trace the beneficiaries of the allegedly diverted rice and verify the exact quantum of financial loss to the government.
