Bhopal
After the seizure of property worth crores in Madhya Pradesh, there has been a major reshuffle in the Transport Department. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s government has transferred three senior IPS officers. This action has been taken after raids on premises linked to former RTO constable Saurabh Sharma. In this, Transport Commissioner D.P. Gupta is also included.
After the raid in Bhopal, questions were being raised on the state transport department. Due to this, 1994 batch IPS officer D.P. Gupta has been appointed ADG Police Headquarters (PHQ). Gupta became Transport Commissioner in February 2024. In his place, 1988 batch IPS officer Vivek Sharma has been made the new Transport Commissioner. Vivek Sharma was earlier ADG in PHQ Planning. Apart from this, ADG Yogesh Chaudhary has been given additional charge of PHQ planning. These transfers have taken place after the notification of the General Administration Department (GAD).
After getting property worth crores, questions started being raised
The premises of former RTO constable Saurabh Sharma and his associates were raided by ED, Income Tax Department and Lokayukta’s SEP. Property worth crores has been recovered in these raids. After this, questions started being raised on the transport department. These transfers have taken place only after these raids. It is clear that the government is taking this matter seriously.
52 kg gold was found in an abandoned vehicle
Lokayukta had recovered movable assets worth Rs 7.98 crore from Saurabh Sharma in a raid last week. This included Rs 2.87 crore in cash and 235 kg of silver. Also seized were several real estate investment documents and a cash counting machine. After this, the Income Tax Department, in another raid, recovered 52 kg gold biscuits worth Rs 40 crore and cash worth more than Rs 11 crore from an abandoned SUV in Bhopal. This SUV was registered in the name of Sharma’s close associate Chetan Singh Gaur. Although official confirmation is yet to be made, officials suspect that the recovery is linked to Sharma.
ED has also registered the case
Following the Lokayukta’s FIR, ED has registered a case of money laundering against Sharma. Last Friday, raids were conducted in Bhopal, Gwalior and Jabalpur. ED has seized financial documents, assets and electronic data from laptops and computers from many places. Saurabh Sharma was appointed to the post of constable in the Transport Department on compassionate grounds in 2015. His father was a government doctor, after whose death he got this job. Sharma had taken voluntary retirement in 2023.
Property worth crores in the name of mother, wife and brother-in-law
Officials allege that Sharma acquired wealth through corrupt means. He also built a school and a hotel in the name of his mother, wife, sister-in-law and close associates Chetan Gaur and Sharad Jaiswal. Documents seized from Sharma’s home and office reveal transactions worth crores of rupees. This shows that he had a large amount of cash coming in. However, Sharma may have been concerned about large amounts of cash getting spoiled over time, which is why he preferred precious metals.
There will be a big revelation in the coming time
This whole matter is raising questions on the functioning of the Transport Department of Madhya Pradesh. How an ordinary constable could amass such huge wealth is a matter of investigation. More revelations are expected in this matter in the coming time. This action of the government will definitely send a message that corruption will not be tolerated.
