Bail plea of 2 food deptt employees rejected

PESHAWAR: The Anti-Corruption Court here on Wednesday rejected the bail applications of two food department officers in a wheat scandal.

During the hearing, the prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Department informed the sSpecial judge of the Anti-Corruption Court, Salahuddin, that the accused, Atif Khan and Junaid Bacha, were posted at the government warehouse in Azakhel. He stated that both officers, in collusion with other suspects, were involved in the disappearance of over 30,000 wheat bags from the government warehouse, causing losses worth millions of rupees.

Following multiple complaints, he said, the Anti-Corruption Department initiated an inquiry, which confirmed that a significant quantity of wheat was missing from the warehouse. The investigation further revealed that the accused, along with other officials, had orchestrated the disappearance of the wheat.

After completing the inquiry and financial audit, the prosecutor said, a formal FIR was registered, nominating six employees in the case. The two officers were taken into custody, and further investigations were underway.

The prosecutor argued that the accused caused a loss of Rs190 million to the national treasury and did not deserve any leniency. Therefore, he urged the court to reject their bail applications.

The defense counsel contended that the accused were government officers who had no direct involvement in the case. He pleaded for their release on bail. However, after hearing both sides, the court rejected the bail applications.