Bhopal, 21 December 2024: The Income Tax Department uncovered 52 kg of gold valued at ₹42 crore and ₹10 crore in cash from an abandoned car near Mendori village, Bhopal, in a corruption investigation involving former RTO constable Saurabh Sharma, officials disclosed on Friday.
The discovery is part of an ongoing probe into disproportionate assets linked to Sharma and his associate, Chandan Gaur.
The vehicle was located late Thursday night in a secluded area near Kaliasot Dam, roughly 15-20 km from Sharma’s residence in Arera Colony, where a joint raid by the Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta’s Special Police Establishment (SPE) and Income Tax Department had been conducted earlier that day.
Sharma, who joined the state’s transport department on compassionate grounds following his father’s death, reportedly led a modest lifestyle in his early years of service. However, officials noted a sharp rise in his wealth over the course of 12 years. Alleged disputes with bureaucrats and accusations regarding a school built on government land ultimately prompted Sharma to take voluntary retirement and transition to the real estate sector.
“The gold and cash are believed to be linked to illegally acquired wealth,” ADG Lokayukta Jaideep Prasad stated, adding that Sharma’s financial activities are under scrutiny. Documents found during the raids also point to investments in multiple properties, a hotel, and a school, with assets spread across various districts in Madhya Pradesh.
Both Sharma and Gaur face charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, as authorities continue to investigate the origins of their alleged illicit wealth.
