Bathinda, Oct. 27 -- As many as five cases have been registered this month in different districts against at least 15 persons, including arhtiyas, rice millers and transporters, for trying to sell paddy purchased from other states at low prices in Punjab mandis on the minimum support price (MSP), officials familiar with the development have said. Among the south Malwa districts where such instances have been reported are Bathinda, Ferozepur, Muktsar, Faridkot and Fazilka.

Officials confirmed that in most of the cases, paddy was bought by unscrupulous elements from Hanumangarh in Rajasthan. A section of arhtiyas and rice shellers are said to have been colluding with their agents to buy the non-basmati rice at cheaper rates from farmers an...