Sukkur FIA books USC staff for selling relief bags

KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Crime Circle, Sukkur, has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) officials and their accomplices for allegedly selling flood affected people’s ration bags in the open market.

An accused Maqbool Ahmed Bhatti, an employee of the USC, was caught red-handed by the Sukkur police when he was trying to sell ration bags in the open market. A case was registered by Police Station Jhangro of district Sukkur, against the seller and his other accomplices, including the USC employees and some private persons.

The Sindh government had signed an agreement with the Utility Stores Corporation for supplying ration bags to the rain- and flood-affected people.

When the police presented its report in the court of Judicial Magistrate and Civil Judge Muhammad Nisar Shar for proceedings in the case, the court expressed mistrust in the police investigation. The judge directed the FIA to intervene and take up the matter.

The FIA registered a case under FIR No 46/2022 under sections 409, 109 PPC, read with 5(2) PCA-II (Prevention of Corruption Act 1947), and took the custody of the accused and case property, and initiated an investigation.