Raipur: Finally, in the Chhattisgarh coal transportation levy scam, which has seen various activities by the business, the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) have come up again with major activities through the registration of three different FIRs. The FIRs are against the suspended IAS officers Ranu Sahu, Sameer Vishnoi and the suspended State Administrative Service Saumya Chaurasia. These FIRs are under the Prevention of Corruption Act, which indicates serious charges of accumulating assets beyond one’s capacity or domain.
The ACB and EOW have independently recorded statements against each of the accused. The investigation conducted by the EOW indicates that Saumya Chaurasia & family own 29 properties, which are held as immovable assets with a payment of around 9.2 crore rupees. It was revealed that these properties were purchased between 2021 and 2022, meaning that the individuals got wealth within a year and a half.
Indicted IAS officer Ranu Sahu was charged with amassing movable and immovable assets of around 4 crore rupees through offenders between 2015 and 2022. These properties were bought through her and the members of her family. Puzzling enough, Sahu has earned a consolidated reported total salary of 92 lakh rupees between her joining the service and 2022, implying that she amassed her wealth elsewhere.
Likewise, a suspended IAS officer, Sameer Vishnoi, has been charged to have brought properties amounting to 5 crore rupees belonging to 2010-2022 in the name of his wife, Preeti Godhra. This contradicts a tally of 93 lakh rupees in his total salary over a similar period. The value of the assets is closer to 500 times his earnings, which indicates possible engaging in corrupt practices.
The FIRs by ACB and EOW are essential to fight corruption and ensure the law takes its course where the public servants are involved. Altogether, these cases belong to social actions against corruption and for transparency of the government’s work. These allegations, if true, portray some levels of inadequacy, unprofessionalism and specifically corrupt practice, which constitutes a blatant violation of the office seniority bestowed on them.
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