Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh): Since September, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) here has not conducted any raid or searches in the state, as the agency is falling short of hands. The investigating agency is facing a serious staff crunch to investigate the cases pending with it.
The agency holds probes into cases involving financial irregularities and corruption, however, it is not able to work to its optimum as it is currently operating with just half of its staffers. A number of cases are pending with it, while the new complaints keep coming up, but the authorities are helpless to look into them because of the staff crunch.
In October 2022, as many as 25 inspector-rank officers who worked in the capacity of investigating officers (IOs) were transferred from the EOW and since then these posts are lying vacant.
Sources said that around 80 IOs were working against the 130 required officers. But after the transfer of 25 IOs the agency is operating not even half of the staff. Investigations into cases have come to a standstill and the agency searches or raids are not being conducted because of the shortage of hands. Sources claimed that the agency has received 5 to 7 inputs regarding the corrupt financial deals, however, the agency is quietly sitting on all these inputs and complaints as it does not have the required force to initiate action.
It was in last September, that the EOW sleuths had conducted a raid and arrested bishop PC Singh, and recovered around Rs 1.60 crore in Indian and foreign currencies from his bungalow in Jabalpur. The agency had registered a cheating case against him on September 8 on a complaint. The complaint had alleged that the bishop had indulged in financial misconduct in running an educational society wherein Rs 2.70 crore collected as students' fees by the society's various institutions between the year 2004-05 and 2011-12 were misused. Following his arrest, the CNI had sacked him from the Bishop's position.
Thereafter, other investigation agencies, including enforcement directorate (ED), income tax(IT), intelligence bureau (IB) had also sneaked into the case. The EOW Madhya Pradesh was applauded for its work in New Delhi.
Agency to get 25 officers in a week’s time: DG
EOW director general, Ajay Sharma told Free Press that the issue of staff shortage was discussed at police headquarters level and as well as administrative officials and soon the vacant posts will be filled. “Shortly more than 25 IOs of rank including sub inspectors, inspectors and deputy superintendent of police (DSP) will be appointed at EOW in a week’s time,” said the DG.
