MP: raids on govt engineer's premises, assets worth ₹7 crore unearthed

The Lokayukta police in Madhya Pradesh on Friday raided three places linked to a 34-year-old assistant engineer working on contract with a government body and unearthed unaccounted assets worth nearly ₹7 crore, an official said.

Accused Hema Meena works with the MP Police Housing Corporation (MPPHC) on a contractual basis and draws a monthly pay of ₹30,000. The recovered assets include a TV set worth nearly ₹30 lakh, he said.

“We carried out raids at three locations linked to Hema Meena, including her farmhouse at Bilkhiriya area in Bhopal around 1 am on Friday,” Bhopal Lokayukta Superintendent of Police Manu Vyas told PTI over the phone.

The official said assets worth nearly ₹7 crore disproportionate to her known sources of income were unearthed.

The raids were conducted after the Lokayukta police received complaints that she had amassed huge wealth by unfair means, the official said.

“We found 65 canines, including more than 30 country dogs, at her farmhouse spread over an area of 20,000 square feet with a built-up area of 10,000 square feet. Besides, we found around 30 cattle there. Some of them are Gir cows,” he added.

Seven to eight vehicles, including high-end Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV), were found parked at the woman’s farmhouse, the SP said.

The Lokayukta police have recovered gold worth ₹10 lakh and ₹77,000 cash apart from documents showing ownership of land in Bhopal, Raisen and Vidisha districts.

“We have registered a case against her under the Prevention of Corruption Act. We have served her a show-cause notice. If she does not come up with a satisfactory reply, we are going to produce Hema in a local court and seek her remand,” Vyas said.