Gooty police on Saturday confiscated 19,560 kg of rice meant for the Public Distribution System (PDS), while it was stored close to a cell phone tower at Kothapeta and arrested 23-year-old Kadiri Narasimha, who was allegedly searching for a transport vehicle to send the stock to Dhone or any other location nearby.
Police are looking into the possibility of an organised gang operating in the district for diverting the PDS rice.
Gooty Circle Inspector G. Ramu said that this was the second such haul in this area in recent times. A month ago, Narasimha’s brother was arrested for allegedly transporting 500 bags of PDS rice to Dhone from a location close to the current place of seizure. Hailing from Karidikonda in the district, both were allegedly operating vehicles transporting the PDS rice illegally. The police have registered a case against Narasimha and will produce him in court.
Gooty police confiscated 41 bags of PDS rice along with an auto-rickshaw arresting five persons and Peddavadaguru police had arrested two persons and seized 24 bags weighing 60 kg each on Friday.
