MP Lokayukta finds assets worth Rs 7.6 crore in forest official raids
The anti-corruption agency searched the homes and office of a Satpura Tiger Reserve assistant director in Pachmarhi and Chhindwara.
The Lokayukta Special Police Establishment (SPE) raided the properties of Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, an assistant director at the Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR), on Saturday. According to The New Indian Express, the searches in Pachmarhi and Chhindwara uncovered assets valued at approximately Rs 7.6 crore, which is an estimated 560 per cent more than his known income.
Investigators recovered Rs 26.37 lakh in cash, gold worth about Rs 3.5 crore, and silver valued at Rs 2.94 lakh. The team also seized household goods worth around Rs 50 lakh and four vehicles, including a Scorpio, a Mahindra KUV, a Bullet motorcycle, and a scooter, with a combined value of Rs 31.2 lakh.
The raids also identified two properties under scrutiny: Ecotel Resort, valued at about Rs 2 crore, and Serenity The Villa, valued at about Rs 1 crore. Additionally, 28 documents related to land transactions were seized.
The action followed a tip alleging that Sharma had accumulated wealth exceeding his legal earnings, potentially involving his wife and other private individuals. A preliminary check by Deputy Superintendent of Police Virendra Singh had previously estimated his assets were 228 per cent above his income.
A case has been registered against Sharma under Sections 13(1)(b) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Teams led by Virendra Singh and Ajay Mishra conducted the dawn searches after obtaining a court warrant. The agency stated the total value of assets may increase as the investigation and formal valuations continue.