Sagar sand mafia case, lady teacher suspended:Collector acts after Bhaskar sting where she claimed control over illegal sand trade in 23 districts

A report published on the Bhaskar English app has led to swift administrative action in Madhya Pradesh. Pratibha Rai, a government school teacher who allegedly claimed on camera that she controls the illegal sand trade across 23 districts of the state, has been suspended. Sagar Collector Sandeep G.R. issued the suspension order and directed the District Education Officer (DEO) to submit a charge sheet within 15 days. Suspension following Bhaskar report According to the suspension order, a news report published on December 12 quoted Pratibha Rai as saying that she manages and controls the illegal sand business in 23 districts, including Sagar. In the video, she is also seen claiming links with a private company involved in sand mining and asserting her influence over the illegal operations in the district and across state. Preliminary verification confirms audio-video After the report surfaced online, the DEO, Sagar, on December 12, instructed the Assistant Director and Block Education Officer, Bina, to conduct an inquiry into the audio-video clip. The inquiry report submitted by the officer states that the authenticity of the audio-video recording has been prima facie confirmed. Suspended under civil services conduct rules The order states that Pratibha Rai’s actions are in violation of the duties and conduct expected of a government servant. Her conduct allegedly breaches: Based on these violations, she has been placed under suspension. During the suspension period, her headquarters will be the Block Education Office, Malthon, Sagar district. Charge sheet to be filed within 15 days The Collector has given the DEO 15 days to complete the investigation and submit a detailed report along with the charge sheet. Although a five-member inquiry committee was formed the day after the report was published, sources claim that fear of the accused at the local level delayed the start of the investigation. No action yet against mining inspector The Bhaskar report also highlighted alleged collusion with the mining department. Sagar Mining Inspector Sunil Kumar Uikey and his aide Manohar Patel were also caught on camera during a conversation with a Bhaskar reporter. In the video, Uikey is heard questioning Pratibha Rai’s authority while admitting that she is involved in sand supply and allegedly does not pay the mandatory mining cess. He is also heard directing the reporter to contact Manohar Patel for any issues, providing his mobile number. Despite these revelations, no action has been taken so far against the mining inspector or his aide, raising questions over departmental accountability.