Bhopal:
A cop-turned-builder in Madhya Pradesh is being investigated by multiple central agencies in connection with an alleged corruption case. The case is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Lokayukta, with each agency focusing on different aspects of the case, which came to light earlier this week.
On December 19, assets worth Rs 7.98 crore, including Rs 2.87 crore in cash and 234 kilograms of silver, were seized following searches of the properties of Saurabh Sharma – a former constable in the state transport department – in Bhopal by the Special Police Establishment (SPE) of Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta.
The investigation gained momentum when 52 kg of gold and Rs 11 crore cash were found in a abandoned SUV parked on the outskirts of Bhopal the same day. The car was found in the Mendori forest on the outskirts of the city after gold was reported being transported via a jungle route. Several witnesses reported seeing armed individuals leaving the vehicle. Acting on a tip-off, IT officials seized the car under Section 132 of the Income Tax Act, declaring it an independent venture.
The Innova car is reportedly owned by Chetan Gaur, an associate of Saurabh Sharma.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a case against Mr Sharma and Mr Gaur under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Mr Sharma is said to have fled to Dubai.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) is working to trace the origin of the unregistered gold, adding a new layer to the investigation.
The SPE of Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta has also intensified its investigation and summons have been issued to Mr Sharma, his family members and close associates including Mr Gaur.
Mr Sharma’s rise from transport department agent to real estate tycoon is also under scrutiny.
His father RK Sharma was a government doctor and died in 2015. After that, Saurabh Sharma was appointed as a constable in the state transport department in 2015 on compassionate grounds and took voluntary retirement in 2023.
After taking voluntary retirement in 2023, he entered the real estate industry and formed ties with leading builders in Bhopal.
The former cop used money he earned through corrupt means to amass huge assets, including setting up a school and hotel in the names of his mother, wife, sister-in-law and close aides Gaur and Sharad Jaiswal, a Lokayukta SPE official said .
According to sources, documents from several income tax raids have unearthed Rs 100 crore worth of alleged transactions involving transport department officials in 52 districts, indicating a vast network of corruption.
The investigation also points to systemic corruption within the transport department, with allegations against senior officials.
The case has also sparked a political row. Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh has called for a judicial inquiry under the supervision of the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Singh criticized the handling of the case and demanded that the ED and IT departments take sole control of the investigation.
Responding to the allegations, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said, “Our government has always waged a principled fight against corruption. We had even closed the barriers of control. We are committed to fighting corruption at all levels.”
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