Bhopal, March 24 – The Madhya Pradesh Congress has announced its decision to move the Supreme Court over the alleged state transport department scam and corruption case involving former transport constable Saurabh Sharma. The declaration was made by Leader of Opposition (LoP) Umang Singhar on Monday, following the transfer of Jaideep Prasad, the Lokayukta in-charge Director General (DG) who was leading the investigation.
Allegations of Government Interference
According to an order issued on Sunday, Prasad has been reassigned as Additional Director General (ADG) of the State Crime Record Bureau (SCRB) at the Bhopal police headquarters. The Congress alleges that this transfer is an attempt to suppress the investigation.
"The way DG Lokayukta, Jaideep Prasad, who was investigating the case of Saurabh Sharma, has been removed (referring to transfer), it is clear that the government wants to suppress the whole matter. In our next step, we will move to the Supreme Court in connection with the Saurabh Sharma corruption case and transport department scam," Singhar told ANI.
Government Responds to Allegations
Reacting to the opposition’s claims, Madhya Pradesh Transport Minister Uday Pratap Singh defended the government’s position, stating that the opposition was free to pursue legal action.
"I think they (the opposition) should go. Everyone has the right to be heard in a democracy, and they should exercise their rights," Singh told reporters.
Congress Demands CBI Investigation
Congress legislators have repeatedly raised the issue in the state assembly during the budget session, even staging a walkout to demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter.
Earlier, Singhar alleged that state minister Govind Singh Rajput, who previously held the transport portfolio, was involved in the scam and demanded action against him. He also questioned why transport ministers from 2013 onward had not been investigated and why key individuals had not been interrogated or had their call records examined.
Lokayukta Investigation Uncovers Multi-Crore Corruption
The Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta police had registered a case against Saurabh Sharma under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, after multiple searches uncovered disproportionate assets. Sharma and his associates, Chetan Singh Gaur and Sharad Jaiswal, were arrested, produced before the court, and sent to jail.
On December 19 and 20 last year, Lokayukta officials recovered assets worth several crores from two of Sharma’s residences in Arera Colony, Bhopal.
In a related development, Bhopal police and Income Tax (IT) officials seized 52 kg of gold worth over ₹40 crore and ₹9.86 crore in cash from an abandoned car registered under Chetan Singh Gaur. The vehicle was discovered on December 19 near Mendori-Kushalpur Road under Ratibad police station limits.
As the case gains momentum, all eyes are now on the Supreme Court’s intervention and whether the investigation will take a new turn under judicial oversight.
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