New Delhi: Former RTO constable Saurabh Sharma was arrested by the Lokayukta from the Bhopal District Court on Tuesday, a day after he surrendered himself. Sharma is accused in a money laundering case, with charges that he, along with his associates, has amassed an empire worth Rs 100 crore.
‘We will interrogate everyone involved’
DG Lokayukta Jaideep Prasad said, “Saurabh Sharma, against whom a case has been registered, has been taken into custody. Interrogation is ongoing, and he will be presented in court within 24 hours. We will interrogate everyone involved in the case. During the interrogation, we will determine where all Saurabh had been after he absconded. There is no threat to his life from any agencies.” He denied the request for video recording of the interrogation.
As per information, during his tenure in the Transport Department, Sharma allegedly took funds illegally from the check posts. After a complaint was registered against him, he opted for voluntary retirement (VRS).
On December 19, Lokayukta raided his premises. Since then, he has been on the run. Police have issued a lookout notice against him as well.
ED quizzed Sharma’s family members earlier
On Monday, Sharma had moved the surrender application before a special Lokayukta court through his advocate Suryakant Bhujade. Before Sharma filed a surrender application, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) quizzed his family members, including his wife and mother in connection with the money laundering case. However, after a few hours of questioning, the ED let them off. Earlier, Sharma’s advocate told the media that he would surrender only if the state government guaranteed his safety. In the past month, the ED carried out raids on over 12 offices and properties linked to Sharma’s relatives.
In 2016, Sharma was appointed as a constable in the Transport Department on compassionate grounds following the death of his father, a government doctor, in 2015. He served as an RTO constable for 12 years and took VRS in 2023. Sharma’s application for VRS was accepted in 2023, despite an ongoing probe against him. After taking VRS, Saurabh reportedly started real estate business and developed close relations with influential people of the state, due to which his real estate business started growing rapidly. During the ED raids, the officials also found 4 luxury cars from Saurabh’s house, which indicates his increasing wealth. Most of these Rs 100 crore is being said to be in the form of illegal transactions and bribes. The involvement of many officials and politicians has come to light in such transactions.
