Former Tehsildar Amita Singh arrested in Sheopur flood scam:₹2.57 crore transferred to 127 fake accounts; 25 Patwaris and several officials come under police radar

Police in Sheopur have arrested former Tehsildar Amita Singh Tomar in connection with a major flood relief scam dating back to 2021. The alleged fraud took place in Baroda tehsil, where around ₹2.5 crore meant for relief distribution was misappropriated. Singh has been accused of manipulating records and distributing compensation to ineligible beneficiaries. Arrested from Gwalior residence Police arrested Amita Singh from her residence in Gwalior and brought her to Sheopur, where she was produced before a court. She has since been sent to Shivpuri jail. During her arrest and transit, she was seen hiding her face from cameras. Notably, she was removed from her post as Vijaypur Tehsildar just a day before her arrest. Bail rejected by higher courts Investigations revealed that Singh allegedly tampered with official documents, causing significant loss to the government treasury. A case has been registered under multiple sections, including cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Her anticipatory bail pleas had already been rejected by both the High Court and the Supreme Court, following which police proceeded with the arrest. ₹2.57 crore transferred to fake accounts According to the probe, after floods in Baroda tehsil, damage to 794 beneficiaries was assessed. However, during the relief distribution process, around ₹2.57 crore was transferred to 127 fake bank accounts. The irregularities were flagged during an audit, prompting a detailed investigation. Some recovery of funds has also been made from beneficiaries. 110 accused, including 25 Patwaris Former SDOP Praveen Ashtana had named 110 accused, including Amita Singh and 25 Patwaris, in the case. Investigators also found suspicious transactions in bank accounts linked to relatives of patwaris, indicating a wider network of involvement. More arrests likely Sudhir Kumar Agrawal, Superintendent of Police, stated that the scope of the scam may widen further. The role of other officials and employees is currently under investigation, and more arrests are likely in the coming days. Controversies surrounding Amita Singh Before her posting in Sheopur, Amita Singh served in Guna, where she remained in controversy over her social media posts. She had once referred to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as “Rahul Khan” in a Facebook post and made remarks about Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Robert Vadra. The post, which included a photo of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Robert Vadra, was later deleted following backlash. The Congress party had also submitted a memorandum to the district collector over the issue. Active on social Media, former KBC participant Amita Singh is known to be quite active on social media, with around 11,000 followers on Facebook. She had also participated in the popular TV show Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2011, where she won ₹50 lakh. Investigation continues Authorities are continuing their investigation into the scam, which has exposed serious lapses in the flood relief distribution system. The case is being seen as a major instance of administrative corruption in the state.