Former Land Acquisition Officer Arrested in Bharatmala Compensation Scam in Raipur
The Economic Offences Wing and Anti-Corruption Bureau has made a significant arrest in the ongoing investigation into the Bharatmala land compensation scandal. Officials confirmed the arrest of Nirbhay Kumar Sahu, the former sub-divisional officer and competent authority for land acquisition in Abhanpur, Raipur district.
Criminal Conspiracy and Misuse of Position
Investigators have alleged that Sahu, while serving as the competent authority for land acquisition at Abhanpur, misused his official position and entered into a criminal conspiracy with several individuals. This group included subordinate revenue staff such as a patwari and revenue inspector, along with land dealer Harmeet Singh Khanuja, Uma Tiwari, and others.
ACB/EOW chief Amresh Mishra stated in an official release that Sahu is an accused in a crime registered under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The charges relate to alleged irregularities in compensation disbursal for two critical stretches of the Bharatmala road project: the Raipur-Visakhapatnam corridor and the Durg bypass.
Elaborate Scheme to Inflate Compensation
According to the detailed probe, the fraudulent activities centered on land parcels affected by the project in several villages under Abhanpur tehsil, including:
- Nayakbandha
- Ugetra
- Urla
- Bhelwadih
- Tokaro
The investigation revealed that these land parcels were allegedly split into multiple sub-plots using backdated entries. This manipulation enabled compensation to be paid at amounts several times higher than the actual entitlement, resulting in substantial financial losses.
Duplicate Payments and Financial Impact
In a particularly egregious instance, the agency alleged that land previously acquired for the Nayakbandha reservoir was shown as being acquired again for the Bharatmala project. Compensation was then paid afresh for this already-acquired land, causing a loss of crores of rupees to the state exchequer.
Officials noted that Sahu had been evading authorities for an extended period, with continuous efforts to trace him. His bail plea was ultimately rejected by the Supreme Court, and permanent arrest warrants along with proclamation orders were issued against him and other absconding public servants by the special court.
Legal Proceedings and Ongoing Investigation
Following his arrest, the agency produced Sahu before the special court in Raipur. The court granted police remand from March 17 to March 30 for further questioning, allowing investigators to delve deeper into the complex web of alleged corruption.
This case highlights ongoing challenges in land acquisition processes for major infrastructure projects and underscores the vigilance of anti-corruption agencies in tackling financial misconduct at official levels.
