Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], December 24 (ANI): Veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has taken a dig at former Transport Minister Govind Singh Rajput, claiming that when Congress returned to power in the state in 2018, there was immense pressure on then-CM Kamal Nath to assign the Transport and Revenue Departments to Rajput.
He further claimed that Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia (who was then in Congress) could explain why this pressure existed.
Singh made the remark while addressing a press conference in the state capital, Bhopal, on Tuesday, following the recent action taken by Lokayukta against former constable of the State Road Transportation Department, Saurabh Sharma, in connection with a corruption case.
“Examples of such massive corruption have not been seen in the history of Madhya Pradesh. 52 kg of gold and around Rs 11 crore in cash were recovered from a car park in a jungle area in Bhopal. In the latest developments, information is emerging that check posts were being auctioned in the Transport Department, and the cutters were collecting money. Saurabh Sharma, an ordinary constable, cannot be the sole owner of all these assets. It is a matter of investigation. I received information that the MP Police attempted to suppress the matter,” Singh told reporters.
He added, “Let me provide some background. When Kamal Nath’s government was formed in 2018, there was immense pressure on the then-CM Nath to hand over the Transport and Revenue Departments to Govind Singh Rajput. Why was that? Either Scindia ji will tell you, or someone else will. But there was pressure.”
The Congress leader also mentioned that, given the atmosphere of corruption in these departments, Nath had set up a board to decide on ministry postings.
“But as soon as the Congress government fell, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan became the CM again, it came to my notice that Scindia dissolved the board under pressure and handed over full authority to the then-Transport Minister, Govind Singh Rajput. After that, a new process began, and check posts were auctioned. Those who bid to collect more revenue were appointed by the minister. Saurabh Sharma was tasked with recovering money and managing the distribution of responsibility for check posts,” he added.
Notably, a political upheaval rocked the state in 2020 after then-Congressman Jyotiraditya Scindia, along with 22 loyalist MLAs, including Govind Singh Rajput, switched to the BJP camp.
The Congress leader also claimed that Sharma was accompanied by Sanjay Srivastava, Viresh Tumram, and Darshat Singh Patel, who were involved in collecting money. He suggested that if the authorities arrest and interrogate these individuals, the money trail would be uncovered.
According to an official release, the Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta issued summons to Saurabh Sharma, former constable of the State Road Transportation Department, along with his wife, mother, and associates Sharad Jaiswal and Chetan Singh Gaur, for questioning in connection with the corruption case.
A case has been registered against Saurabh Sharma under Section 13(1)B read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as stated in the release.
Following a complaint, the Lokayukta carried out search operations on December 19 and 20, uncovering significant assets suspected to be disproportionate to Sharma’s known sources of income. Assets worth several crores were recovered from two residences linked to the accused, located at E-7/78 and E-7/657 in Arera Colony, Bhopal.
At the E-7/78 residence, authorities seized vehicles, household items, jewellery, and cash amounting to approximately Rs 3.86 crore. From the shared office at E-7/657, which is jointly held with Chetan Singh Gaur, additional assets, including silver and cash, were valued at Rs 4.12 crore. The total value of assets recovered from both locations is estimated to be around Rs 7.98 crore.
In a related development, Bhopal police and Income Tax (IT) officials recovered 52 kg of gold worth over Rs 40 crore and Rs 9.86 crore in cash from an abandoned car. The car, bearing a number plate registered as MP 07 (Gwalior RTO) under the name of Chetan Singh Gaur, was found late at night on December 19 near Mendori-Kushalpur Road under Ratibad police station limits. Upon receiving information, officials seized the car and its contents. (ANI)
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