More than 60 Lokayukta Officers Reassigned in MP Following Discovery of Wealth Linked to Former RTO Constable

Bhopal, Dec 30 (NationPress) In the midst of persistent investigations in Madhya Pradesh related to a case involving disproportionate assets against former RTO constable turned real estate mogul Saurabh Sharma, a substantial reorganization has been initiated within the Lokayukta Police.

Over 60 officers from the Special Police Establishment (SPE) have been reassigned, with two distinct transfer lists released in the last three days, including 28 officers on Sunday. The day before, transfers included 34 Lokayukta officers and four Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs).

This shift coincides with the Lokayukta conducting searches at Sharma's properties, where they seized approximately Rs 14 crore in cash, gold valued at over Rs 40 crore, silver worth around Rs 2 crore, and numerous documents related to real estate investments.

Additionally, the agency recovered several credit cards among the valuables confiscated from Sharma's possession, who is believed to be in Dubai.

The initial recovery occurred during a raid last week, where anti-corruption officials uncovered Sharma's movable assets totaling Rs 7.98 crore, which included Rs 2.87 crore in cash and 235 kilograms of silver.

Documents pertaining to several real estate investments and a cash-counting machine were also taken from properties linked to Sharma.

Following this, the Income Tax Department executed another raid, revealing 52 kilograms of gold bars worth Rs 40 crore and more than Rs 11 crore in cash from an abandoned SUV in Bhopal.

The SUV was registered in the name of Chetan Singh Gaud, an alleged close associate of Sharma. Authorities suspect this recovery is associated with Sharma, although official confirmation is not yet available.

In the wake of the FIR by Lokayukta, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated a money laundering probe against Sharma, with raids conducted in Bhopal, Gwalior, and Jabalpur last Friday.

During these investigations, the ED reportedly seized financial documents, assets, and electronic data from laptops and computers across various locations.

Sharma began his career as a constable in the transport department in 2015, appointed on compassionate grounds after his father, a government doctor, passed away. He voluntarily retired in 2023. Authorities allege Sharma accumulated wealth through corrupt practices, including setting up a school and a hotel under the names of his mother, wife, sister-in-law, and close associates Chetan Gaud and Sharad Jaiswal.

Documents obtained from Sharma's home and office indicate transactions worth crores of rupees, hinting at a significant cash inflow. However, it appears Sharma may have been concerned about the depreciation of large cash sums, prompting him to invest in precious metals.

A purportedly fraudulent affidavit presented by Sharma to obtain his appointment has emerged on social media, igniting further controversy. In this affidavit, Sharma claimed that no dependent family members of his father were employed in government or semi-government roles, yet records show his elder brother, Sachin Sharma, was employed in Chhattisgarh at the time, having been selected through the Public Service Commission (PSC).

This situation has triggered a political uproar, with opposition parties accusing the ruling BJP of corruption. Nevertheless, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has previously stated that his administration maintains a strict stance against corruption.