Saurabh Sharma Discrepancy: Ex-MP Minister Clarifies Health Department Recommendation, Not RTO

Bhopal, Jan 3 (NationPress) A new debate has emerged surrounding the hiring of former RTO constable Saurabh Sharma, who has been implicated in a disproportionate assets (DA) case following a series of raids by various agencies in recent weeks.

Bhopal-based RTI activist Sanket Shahu has alleged that Sharma's appointment was influenced by former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra back in 2016.

Mishra, who held the position of Health and Family Welfare Minister during that time, had recommended in an official letter that Sharma be appointed to a Grade 3 position in the health sector if a vacancy existed.

According to Mishra's letter, “Saurabh Sharma's father, Dr. Rakesh Sharma, passed away on November 20, 2015, while serving at the Gwalior district hospital. Sharma should be appointed to a Grade 3 role in the health department, should a position be available.”

Nonetheless, Sharma was appointed as a constable in the transport sector on compassionate grounds in 2016 but subsequently opted for voluntary retirement in 2023.

In light of the situation, Narottam Mishra stated that unnecessary controversy was being stirred and asserted that he had no involvement with Saurabh Sharma's case.

“As a public representative, it is my duty to make recommendations, especially concerning the department I once led (health). Did my letter specify that Sharma was to be appointed in the RTO?” Mishra told IANS.

It is important to note that the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Income Tax Department, and the Special Establishment Police (SEP) of the state Lokayukta executed independent searches at various locations associated with Sharma and his associates in Bhopal and Gwalior.

The first significant recovery occurred during a Lokayukta raid last week, where officials uncovered that Sharma possessed movable assets totaling Rs 7.98 crore, which included Rs 2.87 crore in cash and 235 kilograms of silver.

Numerous real estate investment documents and a cash-counting machine were also confiscated from Sharma's properties.

Following this, the Income Tax Department conducted an additional raid, revealing 52 kilograms of gold bars valued at Rs 40 crore along with over Rs 11 crore in cash from an abandoned SUV located in Bhopal.

This SUV was registered under the name of Chetan Singh Gaud, an alleged close associate of Sharma. Authorities suspect a connection between the recovery and Sharma, although official verification is still pending.

In the aftermath of the Lokayukta FIR, the ED has initiated a money laundering investigation against Sharma, executing raids across Bhopal, Gwalior, and Jabalpur last Friday.

During these operations, the ED reportedly seized financial documents, assets, and electronic data from laptops and computers located at various sites.

The documents taken from Sharma's home and office indicate transactions worth crores of rupees, suggesting a significant cash inflow.