CBI books 8 in ₹28.87 crore FCI rice scam involving Delhi, NERAMAC
Synopsis
The CBI has booked eight people — including three senior FCI Delhi officials and a NERAMAC managing director — for allegedly bypassing e-auction rules to sell over 50,000 metric tonnes of rice at a steep discount, costing the government exchequer nearly ₹28.87 crore. Payments were allegedly routed through private rice millers, with no evidence the grain reached its stated destination.
Key Takeaways
The CBI registered an FIR on 27 August against 8 accused — three FCI Delhi officials, three NERAMAC officials, and two private company representatives.
Alleged loss to FCI : approximately ₹28.87 crore , based on the gap between the concessional rate of ₹23,200/MT and the reserve price of ₹28,900/MT .
Around 50,645 MT of rice was lifted by NERAMAC in April 2026 without a mandatory e-auction, allegedly violating OMSS(D) 2025-26 Policy .
Payments were allegedly routed through private millers and wholesale dealers; no distribution records exist for the rice.
Case registered under BNS 2023 and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 ; Section 17A approvals obtained for all six government officials.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a corruption case against three Food Corporation of India (FCI) officials and five others over alleged irregularities in the sale of rice from the Delhi region to the North Eastern Regional Agriculture Marketing Corporation Ltd (NERAMAC), Guwahati — a transaction that allegedly caused a loss of approximately ₹28.87 crore to the FCI. The FIR was registered on 27 August, with the CBI making the case public on 1 September.
Who Has Been Named
Three FCI officials from the Delhi region are among the accused: Kunhiraman Padmini Asha, the then General Manager, FCI Delhi Region; Brahm Prakash, the then Assistant General Manager (Sales), FCI; and Amarendra Vikram, the then Manager (Sales), FCI Delhi Region.
Three NERAMAC officials have also been named: Bhaskar Barua, the then Managing Director, NERAMAC Guwahati; Anjal Kumar Dutta, the then Additional General Manager, NERAMAC Guwahati; and Dilip Saha, the then Deputy Manager (Agri-Business), NERAMAC.
Private sector accused include Rajesh Bajaj, Director of Utapalakshi Agro Products Private Limited and Dibesh Commercials Private Limited, Guwahati, and Pankaj Saraf, partner of Super Grains, Kolkata.
How the Alleged Scam Worked
According to the FIR, FCI Delhi Region allotted a total of 62,000 metric tonnes (MT) of rice to NERAMAC, of which approximately 50,645 MT was lifted at a concessional rate of ₹23,200 per MT under the Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) — or OMSS(D) — in April 2026.
The alleged violation lies in eligibility: under clauses B(i)5 and B(vii) of the OMSS(D) 2025-26 Policy, NERAMAC — being a Government of India-owned enterprise — was not eligible to receive rice allocations without an e-auction. Only State Governments and State Government Corporations qualified for direct allocation. The prevailing reserve price at the time was ₹28,900 per MT.
It was further alleged that payments for the rice were routed through private entities — rice millers and wholesale dealers — with no record establishing that the rice was ultimately distributed for its stated purpose.
The Calculated Loss to FCI
According to the CBI FIR, had the 50,645 MT lifted at the concessional price been sold at the reserve price of ₹28,900 per MT through e-auction, FCI would have realised an additional ₹28.87 crore. This notional loss forms the financial basis of the case.
Legal Provisions and Background
The case has been registered under Section 61(2) read with Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 — covering cheating and criminal conspiracy — and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The CBI noted that prior approvals under Section 17A of the PC Act have been obtained from competent authorities for all six government officials named.
The probe was initiated following a complaint filed by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, which had set up a committee to examine the rice allotment to NERAMAC — a transaction alleged to be in violation of FCI policy dated 10 July 2025. The investigation is ongoing, and further developments are expected as the CBI examines financial trails linked to the private companies involved.
Point of View
And whether the ₹28.87 crore figure captures the full extent of the irregularity.
NationPress
1 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FCI rice scam that the CBI has registered a case about?
The CBI has booked eight people — including three FCI Delhi officials and three NERAMAC officials — for allegedly allotting over 50,000 metric tonnes of rice to NERAMAC at a concessional rate without the mandatory e-auction, causing a loss of approximately ₹28.87 crore to FCI. The FIR was registered on 27 August, following a complaint by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
Who are the key accused named in the CBI FIR?
The six government officials named include Kunhiraman Padmini Asha (then General Manager, FCI Delhi), Brahm Prakash (then AGM Sales, FCI), Amarendra Vikram (then Manager Sales, FCI Delhi), Bhaskar Barua (then MD, NERAMAC), Anjal Kumar Dutta (then Additional GM, NERAMAC), and Dilip Saha (then Deputy Manager, NERAMAC). Private accused include Rajesh Bajaj of two Guwahati-based companies and Pankaj Saraf of Super Grains, Kolkata.
Why was the NERAMAC rice allotment considered illegal?
Under the OMSS(D) 2025-26 Policy, NERAMAC — a Government of India enterprise — was not eligible to receive rice allocations without an e-auction. Only State Governments and their corporations qualified for direct allotment. The rice was allegedly allocated to NERAMAC in violation of this policy, bypassing the competitive auction process.
How was the ₹28.87 crore loss to FCI calculated?
The CBI alleges that approximately 50,645 MT of rice was lifted at a concessional rate of ₹23,200 per MT, against a prevailing reserve price of ₹28,900 per MT. Had the rice been sold at the reserve price through e-auction, FCI would have earned an additional ₹28.87 crore — that gap constitutes the alleged loss.
What laws have been invoked in the CBI case?
The case is registered under Section 61(2) read with Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, covering cheating and criminal conspiracy, and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Mandatory Section 17A approvals from competent authorities have been obtained for all six government servants named.
