Pachmarhi — The Special Police Establishment of the Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta has unearthed alleged disproportionate assets worth approximately Rs 7.6 crore linked to Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, Assistant Director of the Satpura Tiger Reserve, during simultaneous raids conducted on Saturday across three locations, according to the agency's preliminary assessment reported on Sunday.

Source: The 420 (Lokayukta SPE report)

Multiple teams from the Bhopal unit of the Lokayukta SPE searched Sharma's official residence and office in Pachmarhi and his private residence in Chhindwara after obtaining search warrants from a court. The operation, carried out on the directives of the Lokayukta Director General and led by officers of Deputy Superintendent of Police rank, followed a confidential complaint alleging that the officer had amassed assets beyond his known sources of income, IANS reported as the searches began on Saturday.

Source: IANS via The Freedom Press

Cash, gold and two resorts

Investigators recovered Rs 26.36 lakh in cash, 2.528 kilograms of gold jewellery preliminarily valued at nearly Rs 3.5 crore, and 1.656 kilograms of silver worth an estimated Rs 2.94 lakh. Teams also identified vehicles — a Mahindra Scorpio, a Mahindra KUV, a Bullet motorcycle and a scooter — valued together at about Rs 31.2 lakh, household goods of about Rs 50 lakh, and records pointing to two hospitality properties: Ecotel Resort, valued at roughly Rs 2 crore, and Serenity The Villa, at around Rs 1 crore. The agency is still verifying the legal ownership of the two properties and tracing the capital invested in them.

The teams seized 28 documents related to land sale and purchase transactions, which investigators say will help trace property deals, payment trails and whether assets were acquired in the officer's own name or through relatives and associates. The Lokayukta said the probe began after confidential information alleged that several properties had been purchased in the names of Sharma's wife and other private individuals; after initial verification, the agency registered a case under Sections 13(1)(b) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. These are allegations under investigation, and the officer has not been convicted of any offence.

During preliminary verification before the raids, investigators had estimated Sharma's wealth at about 228 percent above his known income. After Saturday's recoveries, the agency's initial assessment climbed to roughly 560 percent, with the total put at about Rs 7.6 crore. Officials said the figures are provisional and could change once the valuation of all properties is completed and his income and expenditure are fully reconciled. The investigation now moves into detailed financial verification to establish the final quantum of the alleged disproportionate assets, according to a Times of India report carried by FVBB.

Source: Times of India report via FVBB