₹ 30,000 Salary, 7 Crore Found In Raids: Madhya Pradesh Officer In Trouble

Hema Meena, a contractual in-charge assistant engineer with the Madhya Pradesh Police Housing Corporation, had also used materials meant for government projects to build her house, officers said.

                         ₹ 30,000 Salary, 7 Crore Found In Raids: Madhya Pradesh Officer In Trouble 

Bhopal: Twenty vehicles including 5–7 luxury cars, 20,000 square feet of land, two dozen cattle of the prized Gir breed, and a high-end 98-inch TV with a price tag of ₹ 30 lakh were just some of the assets found in an eye-popping anti-corruption raid on a 36-year-old Madhya Pradesh government officer who makes ₹ 30,000 a month.

Hema Meena, a contractual in-charge assistant engineer with the Madhya Pradesh Police Housing Corporation, has been found to own assets worth crores of rupees in her and her family’s name after just over a decade of employment.

A search conducted by the anti-corruption watchdog at her residential premises revealed the vast array of wealth, which also included 100 dogs, a complete wireless communication system, and mobile jammers, among other valuables.

On Thursday, a team from the Lokayukta Special Police Establishment (SPE), entered Ms Meena’s upscale bungalow under the guise of repairing solar panels.

In just one day, the team unearthed assets worth around ₹ 7 crore, a staggering 232 per cent more than her known sources of income.

The initial investigation revealed that Ms Meena first purchased 20,000 square ft of agricultural land in her father’s name, then constructed a large house worth around ₹ 1 crore.

In addition to the luxurious residence, the engineer has been found to own land in Raisen and Vidisha districts as well.

Preliminary findings also suggest that materials meant for use in projects of the Madhya Pradesh Police Housing Corporation were used by the engineer to build her house. Heavy agricultural machinery, including harvesters, have also been seized.

Manu Vyas, Superintendent of Police, Lokayukta, Bhopal, told NDTV that the search operation was conducted at three locations, including Ms Meena’s residence in Bilkhiriya.

Initial estimates indicate that Ms Meena’s assets are worth around ₹ 5 to 7 crore, with more likely to be uncovered as the search continues.

“We will have to take help from other departments as well in determining the actual value of whatever has been seized so far,” Mr Vyas said, adding that a case has been registered against the accused.