'Crorepati constable' triggers demand for Madhya Pradesh transport department probe; Digvijaya writes to PM

Bhopal/Indore: Congress Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding a probe by a sitting High Court judge into the corruption in the Madhya Pradesh Transport Department.

The MP Lokayukta's Special Police Establishment earlier this week conducted searches at Bhopal properties of a former constable with the department and seized assets worth around Rs 8 crore besides documents related to real estate investments.

Singh shared his letter to the PM with the media in the state capital.

The former CM revealed there was pressure on then-Chief Minister Kamal Nath to appoint Govind Rajput as transport minister in the Congress government. Rajput was one of the Congress leaders who, led by Jyotiraditya Scindia, joined the BJP in March 2020 and caused the fall of the Nath-led Congress regime.

Rajput was not available immediately for a comment.

"I demand investigation of the transport scam under the supervision of the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The benami (proxy) properties found during the investigation should be confiscated and money be deposited with the government treasury," Singh stated in his letter.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), too, should register a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the matter, the former chief minister demanded.

Singh's letter named several persons, and also spoke of corruption at `check barriers' put up by the transport department.

On December 19, nearly Rs 3 crore in cash and 200 kg of silver ingots along with documents of benami properties were found at the residence of former constable Saurabh Sharma, as per the Lokayukta police.

As much as 52 kg of gold and Rs 11 crore in cash were found in a car owned by an associate of the constable, and the Income Tax Department has seized a diary in which names of officers, political leaders and businessmen are mentioned, the Congress leader claimed.

Asked about Singh's allegations, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said, "Our government has continued the policy of fighting corruption. We have closed check barriers from the very first day. We are against corruption at every level." In a related development, the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), alleging large-scale corruption in the department, on Tuesday sent a letter to Yadav, demanding a high-level probe into its activities.

The apex body of transporters, in the letter, sought an inquiry into the department's activities over the past two decades by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a retired judge of the Supreme Court or the Madhya Pradesh HC.

The AIMTC made the demand citing the recent revelations related to assets owned by former constable Sharma.

C L Mukati, chairman of AIMTC's national RTO and transport committee, told PTI in Indore that the organisation's top officials have sent the letter to the Chief Minister.

Citing the raids on the premises of Sharma, the letter said departmental employees whose assets disproportionate to their income have been revealed so far are just "small fishes" and it is necessary to identify the "real culprits" and "masterminds" and bring them to justice.

The letter said properties owned by officials of Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) should be investigated and strict legal action taken if they are found to be been acquired through ill-gotten wealth.

The missive said all processes related to making driving licenses, registration of vehicles and fitness certification should be done online so that human intervention and possibilities for bribery can be reduced.