CBI Court Sentences Former Village Head, Ration Dealer in SGRY Scam

LUCKNOW | December 12, 2025:

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Lucknow has sentenced a former village head and a fair price shopkeeper to ten years of rigorous imprisonment for defrauding the government of over ₹1 crore under the Sampurna Grameen Rozgar Yojna (SGRY).

The court convicted Satya Narayan Prasad Patel, the then village pradhan, and Shahnawaj Alam, a fair price shopkeeper (kotedar), holding them guilty of misappropriating government funds and food grains meant for rural employment and welfare. In addition to the jail term, the court imposed a total fine of ₹55,000 on the two convicts. The judgment was delivered on December 11, 2025.

According to the CBI, the accused orchestrated large-scale irregularities under the SGRY scheme by falsifying records, preparing forged documents and diverting funds and supplies intended for village-level development works. The agency estimated the loss to the government at ₹65 lakh in cash and food grains worth ₹45.26 lakh, taking the total misappropriation beyond ₹1 crore.

The case originated in Ballia district, where an FIR was registered in 2006 at Narhi police station. In view of the scale of the alleged fraud and the involvement of multiple officials, the investigation was transferred to the CBI in October 2008. The agency subsequently uncovered widespread manipulation of muster rolls, ghost beneficiaries and fraudulent utilisation of scheme funds.

The Sampurna Grameen Rozgar Yojna, launched in 2001, was designed to generate additional wage employment in rural areas while creating durable community assets. Investigators said the Ballia case exposed serious lapses in implementation, with funds meant for the rural poor allegedly siphoned off through collusion between local officials and beneficiaries.

After a detailed probe, the CBI filed a chargesheet in November 2010 against three accused: Satyendra Singh Gangwar, then Chief Finance and Accounts Officer of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Ballia; Satya Narayan Prasad Patel, then village pradhan; and Shahnawaj Alam, the fair price shopkeeper. The charges included criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

During the trial, the court examined documentary evidence and witness testimonies spanning several years. While Patel and Alam were found guilty of actively executing and benefiting from the fraudulent transactions, the court acquitted Satyendra Singh Gangwar, observing that the prosecution failed to establish his role in the conspiracy beyond reasonable doubt.

A CBI spokesperson welcomed the verdict, stating that corruption in rural employment and welfare schemes strikes at the very foundation of social justice. The agency reiterated its commitment to ensuring accountability in cases involving public funds meant for the most vulnerable sections of society.

The conviction brings closure to one of Uttar Pradesh’s long-pending rural development fraud cases, highlighting how systemic abuse of welfare schemes can continue for years before being brought to justice.