Indore News: Lokayukta Searches Unearth Over ₹4 Crore Illegal Assets From Cooperative Society Manager In Dhar

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Indore Lokayukta team carried out several searches in Dhar district on Wednesday at several locations linked to Adim Jati Seva Sahakari Samiti Manager, Govardhan Nema Patel.

According to Lokayukta SP Rajesh Sahay, the searches were conducted in Laveria, Sardarpur. The action was taken after a complaint alleged that Patel possessed assets far beyond his known sources of income. 

During initial verification, authorities found that he was holding nearly 201% more property than he could legally account for. 

Based on this, the Lokayukta obtained a court-issued search warrant and began simultaneous searches at his house, farm house and godowns.

At his residence on the Labaria-Sardarpur-Badnawar Road, the team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sunil Talan and Inspector Ashutosh Mithas found ₹2,11,000 in cash, 145 grams of gold jewellery and 1.23 kilograms of silver. 

The officers also inspected the two-storey house built on a 14x120 foot plot, which has been valued at ₹82.86 lakh according to government guidelines. 

In total, movable and immovable assets worth around ₹1.05 crore were recovered from this location, along with land documents and details of 8 bank accounts.

Second search 

A second team searched a farm house near Gayatri School in Labaria. The property includes nearly 2 bighas of land, a 2-storey farm house, and an RCC godown. 

Together, these structures are estimated to be worth about ₹1.05 crore. 

The godown was found stocked with nearly 500 quintals of soybean worth around ₹20 lakh and 126 bags of fertiliser. 

Inspectors also found 20 cattle, including cows and buffaloes, worth an estimated ₹5 lakh, along with tractors, a trolley, a seed drill machine, a rotavator and other agricultural equipment valued at roughly ₹1.5 crore.

Another godown on Badnawar Road was also searched. The structure, which measures 12 by 80 feet and includes a basement, has been rented to Patel’s own cooperative society for ₹5k per month. 

This property has been valued at around ₹40 lakh. In addition, officials found 3 vehicles belonging to Patel including an XUV500 car, a harvester machine held in partnership, and a motorcycle, together estimated to be worth ₹30 lakh.

Documents recovered during the searches also revealed that Patel had purchased land worth ₹74.43 lakh in the names of his son Arvind, his wife and his daughter-in-law. 

Altogether, the family acquired nearly 5 hectares of land. Investigators noted that Patel had joined service in 1984 as a salesman with a salary of just ₹300 and currently earns about ₹65k a month. 

Over his career, he is estimated to have earned ₹80 lakh in salary and allowances.

His ancestral agricultural land is expected to generate ₹40 lakh extra, which makes his total lawful income to ₹1.2 crore approximately.

However, the assets uncovered during the raids are worth more than ₹4 crore, which amounts to nearly 233% more than his known income. 

Case registered 

After gathering this evidence, the Lokayukta Office in Indore registered a case against Patel under Sections 13(1)(b) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. 

Further investigation is now underway.