Officers sold ₹9 crore PWD building illegally:FIR filed against 5 officials, 3 suspended, 2 served notices including CMO; probe reveals deep administrative nexus

In a shocking case from Chhatarpur, a Public Works Department (PWD) government building worth Rs 9 crore was fraudulently sold after being illegally transferred through fake documentation. Action is being taken against several officials and employees allegedly involved in the scam. The Chief Municipal Officer (CMO) of Chhatarpur Municipality and a former PWD Executive Engineer (EE) have been served notices. Meanwhile, three employees have been suspended, and an FIR has been lodged against five individuals at the City Kotwali police station. The investigation, which continues to expose more names, has revealed a deep network of collusion among officials from both the municipal body and the registration department. Forgery in property record: Name changed illegally The fraud began when the property, known as House of Umashankar Daftari (Building No. 64) near Balaji Temple, was illegally renamed in municipal records. Accused Ankit Mishra allegedly conspired with Chhatarpur Municipality’s CMO Madhuri Sharma to alter the property entry — replacing Umashankar Daftari with just Umashankar. This fraudulent alteration allowed them to prepare fake documents, registering the building in the names of Dhirendra Gaur of Naugaon and Durgesh Patel of Narsinghpur. The sale deed was drafted by registry writer Raghunandan Prasad Pathak, showing Nisha Upadhyay, Gopal Upadhyay, Vijay Upadhyay (all residents of Chitrakoot), and Rakesh Kumar Upadhyay of Chhatarpur as the sellers. Jitendra Kumar Gaur and Ankit Mishra were listed as witnesses. Collector orders 3-member inquiry committee After the scam surfaced, Chhatarpur Collector Parth Jaiswal formed a three-member committee led by ADM Milind Nagdeve, SDM Akhil Rathore, and Tehsildar Piyush Dixit to investigate the case. Following initial findings, the PWD department suspended the current SDO and an Assistant Grade-3 officer for negligence. Disciplinary proceedings against the then Executive Engineer and SDO have been sent to the Engineer-in-Chief’s office in Bhopal. Chief Engineer of Sagar Division suspended SDO Kamlesh Mishra and Assistant Grade-3 Vijay Kumar Khare for failing to act on a 2024 High Court order related to the property, leading to the loss of valuable government land.
Irregularities in mutation process The mutation process began on December 23, 2024, when Ankit Mishra submitted the application in the municipal office. An objection notice was published on January 7, 2025, but the PWD did not respond within 15 days. The file was later cleared under Revenue Officer Rajendra Napit, after which it reached CMO Madhuri Sharma, who allegedly signed off on it. A new property ID (2000410466) was generated, making the fraudulent sale possible. Accused employee releases video claiming innocence One of the accused, contractual employee Umashankar Pal, released a video denying wrongdoing and accusing senior officials, including the CMO and municipal president, of misleading investigators. He claimed he only worked under Revenue Officer Rajendra Napit in the record room and that his role was limited to registering files after officer approval. He demanded a CCTV review and narco test to expose the real culprits. Two property IDs created for same building The municipal records show two separate property IDs for the same PWD building on Mahal Road: FIR registered against five; more action likely ADM Milind Nagdeve confirmed that FIRs have been lodged against five accused — Revenue Officers Rajendra Napit and Dayaram Kushwaha, contractual worker Umashankar Pal, Deputy Registrar Kansu Lal Ahirwar, and registry writer Raghunandan Prasad Pathak — under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023. Notices have also been issued to CMO Madhuri Sharma, PWD officials Vijay Khare, Rajaram Kushwaha, the then Executive Engineer, and the District Registrar (DR). PWD officials Kamlesh Mishra, Vijay Khare, and Rajaram Kushwaha have already been suspended. Administration to reclaim encroached PWD buildings ADM Nagdeve said the administration will ensure the illegally sold building is reclaimed and made encroachment-free. A four-member task force has been formed to survey all PWD properties within Chhatarpur and remove any encroachments. CSP Arun Kumar Mishra confirmed that more names are likely to emerge as the probe continues. “FIR has been filed against five individuals so far. Further action will follow once other accused are identified,” said CSP Mishra.