Bhopal: Almost a decade after the Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta's Special Police Establishment (SPE) initiated a probe into the Ujjain's Yash Airways airstrip 'scam', the anti-corruption agency on Monday moved to revive action against several senior IAS officers, including an Additional Chief Secretary-rank officer and retired bureaucrats. Sources said the agency has asked the state government to send the proposal to the Centre for a decision on prosecution sanction. The case had kept senior bureaucrats and the state government on edge for years.
The Alleged Scam
The alleged scam revolves around Ujjain's Datana airstrip. The state government handed the contract for maintenance and operations to private firm Yash Air Limited in 2006. Investigators suspect that the company received undue benefits, including exemption from night parking charges and a renovation worth Rs 2.66 crore, despite reported payment defaults and halted operations. The alleged irregularities are believed to have caused significant losses to the state exchequer.
Previous Denial of Prosecution Sanction
Last year, the state government denied prosecution sanction against all the officers, causing friction between the former Lokayukta and the former chief minister's office. This case was considered among the state's most high-profile probes taken over by the Lokayukta, following legal proceedings against top-level bureaucrats. After the investigation was completed, the SPE in 2025 had sent a proposal to the state government for sanction to prosecute the officers held accountable, but it was denied.
SPE's Fresh Move
The Lokayukta's SPE has now sent a strong communication to the General Administration Department (GAD), asking the state to forward the proposal to the central Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) for a decision on prosecution sanction. The agency argues that the Centre is the competent authority in cases involving IAS officers, as they belong to the All-India Services. Director General of SPE, Yogesh Deshmukh, confirmed the development. "Since the officers concerned belong to the All-India Services, the competent authority to decide on prosecution sanction is the DoPT. We have sent communication to the GAD on the matter," Deshmukh told TOI.
Legal Basis
According to the SPE communication, the prosecution sanction order issued by the state government in October 2025 was legally unsustainable. The agency argued that IAS officers fall under the Centre's jurisdiction, citing a 1999 DoPT circular stating that the Centre is the competent authority to decide prosecution sanction against All India Service officers.
Timeline of the Probe
The probe began in July 2015 after complaints alleging corruption by district collectors and PWD officials in connivance with directors of Yash Air Limited. A preliminary inquiry later led to an FIR in November 2019 under the Prevention of Corruption Act and criminal conspiracy charges. Sources said the completed probe examined the role of nearly nine former district collectors and three PWD engineers. In 2020, the Madhya Pradesh High Court refused to quash the FIR and directed the SPE to complete the probe expeditiously.
