ED Conducts Raids on Former RTO Constable Saurabh Sharma and Builder Associate
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Bhopal, Dec 27 (NationPress) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids early Friday at the residences of former RTO constable Saurabh Sharma and his associate, builder Rohit Tiwari. The searches took place at Sharma's home in Gwalior and Tiwari's property in Shastri Nagar, Jabalpur.
These raids are part of an ongoing investigation that was initiated after the recovery of 52 kilograms of gold bricks, silver, and Rs 11 crore in cash from an abandoned vehicle in Bhopal last week. ED officials, backed by CRPF personnel, secured Tiwari's residence during the operation. Family members of Tiwari are being interrogated as part of the investigation.
The Income Tax (I-T) department is scrutinizing how many cash transactions have been made by Sharma and the extent of his investments in various properties.
Sources have disclosed that Rohit Tiwari is related to Saurabh Sharma, and the ex-RTO constable is believed to have invested substantial funds in Tiwari’s construction firm, Omega Realcon Pvt Ltd.
Multiple agencies, including the Income Tax Department and Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta, had previously conducted searches at Sharma's properties in Bhopal and those of his associates. Notably, Sharma departed for Dubai prior to these raids. The abandoned vehicle containing gold and cash was found on December 19.
The I-T department discovered the vehicle in Mendori village during its investigations. The recovery of such a large quantity of gold biscuits, suspected to have been smuggled from Dubai or Switzerland, raises significant concerns. Officials are also probing whether the gold was converted from jewelry and are tracing the financial connections, including cash transactions and investments linked to Sharma.
On Thursday, the Bhopal District Court denied Saurabh Sharma's anticipatory bail request. Sharma’s attorney claimed that his client, being a non-public servant, does not fall under the Lokayukta's jurisdiction and has no ties to the seized gold and cash. However, the court dismissed these arguments and denied any interim relief.
Sources indicate that a diary recovered during the investigation contains the names of bureaucrats and influential individuals associated with Sharma’s activities. Authorities are broadening their investigation to uncover the full extent of the network and trace the origins of the smuggled gold.
