55 Statements Recorded So Far, 50 People Fail To Respond To Notices

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Special Police Establishment (SPE) of the Lokayukta, which is investigating a corruption case registered against former RTO constable Saurabh Sharma, has recorded statements from 55 people so far.

However, over 50 people who were summoned have yet to respond to the notices issued by the agency. The Lokayukta is likely to initiate action against them and file application in the court in this regard, officials said on Wednesday.

Lokayukta police in Bhopal conducted raids on the properties of Sharma and his aides, Chetan Singh Gaur and Sharad Jaiswal, on December 19, 2024. The trio was arrested by the SEP in January this year. Later the trio was later taken on remand by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax (I-T) officials.

Since the case was registered, the SPE has summoned several individuals linked to the trio. Statements have been recorded from more than 55 people who had either given money to them under the pretext of loans or property deals. However, around 50 summoned people have still not appeared before the authorities.

SP D.K Rathore stated that the police have issued multiple notices to these people, but they are not responding. “If they do not come forward to record their statements, the police will file an application in court, and the court will order them to appear,” said the SP.

The SPE had failed to file a chargesheet against the trio within the stipulated time, leading the court to grant them bail. However, they remain behind bars as the ED has booked them in a money laundering case, and the I-T department is also investigating their links to the seizure of over 52 kg of gold and approximately Rs 11 crore in cash from an abandoned car.

SPE in possession of Sharma’s property details

The registrar has sent the property details of Sharma and his aides, and the banks have shared their transaction details with the SPE. Other departments have also handed over all documents related to Saurabh Sharma and his benami properties.