MP Lokayukta police exposes crorepati panchayat secretary

BHOPAL: A village panchayat secretary in Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh, who joined government service at a gross salary of about Rs 5,000 per month became a multi-millionaire in just 12 years of service. In a raid carried out by MP Lokayukta police on Tuesday, disproportionate assets worth several crores were recovered from Rajendra Prasad Dwivedi.

Dwivedi joined government service in 2003 and in these 12 years of service amassed property which is almost 1,000 times more than his known source of income, said Lokayukta sources.

Among the list of his properties are a hotel named Pratap in Manpur near Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and 20 agricultural lands that he purchased between 2009 and 2015 in Semra, Semri and Manpur villages, said sources. He also owns 15 shops in Manpur and three SUVs along with a JCB machine, two tractors and three motorcycles, sources said. Vehicles recovered from his home alone are worth nearly Rs 1 crore, as the JCB itself costs Rs 25 lakh, said sources.

During the raid, Lokayukta cops recovered cash worth Rs 3.69 lakh from his house, besides around Rs 8 lakh in his seven banks accounts and household items worth Rs 15 lakh. Ornaments worth Rs 8 lakh and several LIC policies and documents of investments have also been seized by Lokayukta team.

Dwivedi's mother Meera Bai, was elected as a sarpanch between 2009 and 2015.

"The raid is still underway and as of now we are not in a condition to tell the exact amount of disproportionate assets owned by Dwivedi," superintendent of police, Lokayukta, Rewa, P K Vidyarthi told TOI.