‘Crorepati’ ex-constable sent to 6-day ED custody by Bhopal court

An ED team from the Bhopal Zonal office arrested Sharma and two others, identified as Sharad Jaiswal and Chetan Singh Gaur, on February 10, in connection with a case involving disproportionate assets.

The ED questioned all three in jail after obtaining permission from the special court under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Each of them was questioned separately for several hours.

The ED said that the “responses provided by the trio were evasive”. The primary focus of the interrogation was the 54 kg of gold and Rs 11 crore in cash found in a vehicle a day after a Lokayukta search on the premises of the accused. During questioning, “all three categorically denied ownership of the gold and cash, distancing themselves from the seized assets”.

The ED’s investigation stemmed from an FIR registered by the Lokayukta, Special Police Establishment, Bhopal, under Sections 13(2) and 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

“It is revealed from the said FIR that Saurabh Sharma has amassed disproportionate assets worth crores of rupees in the name of his family members and associated firms/companies,” the ED said in a statement.

The case took a significant turn when the Income Tax Department seized a gold bar weighing 52 kg and cash amounting to Rs 11 crore from the vehicle of Chetan Singh Gaur, who the ED said is a “close associate” of Sharma.

The ED conducted searches on December 27, 2024, and January 17, 2025, at the residences of Saurabh Sharma, his family members, and associates, including Jaiswal and Gaur. During these searches, various incriminating documents were recovered, allegedly revealing substantial investments in immovable properties and other assets.

The ED has so far uncovered immovable properties worth Rs 25 crore and seized or frozen movable assets worth Rs 10 crore, all allegedly linked to Sharma, his family members, and his associates.

According to investigators, Sharma joined the Madhya Pradesh State Transport Department in 2015 as a constable on compassionate grounds. “During the investigation, it was revealed that Sharma acquired huge assets disproportionate to his known sources of income after getting the post of constable in the RTO,” the ED said. It further alleged that Sharma, in collaboration with Gaur and Jaiswal, established multiple firms and companies, using their bank accounts as well as those of his family members to launder proceeds of crime.