Bharatmala Project Scam: Chhattisgarh High Court Rejects Anticipatory Bail Pleas of Revenue Officials
Raipur
The Chhattisgarh High Court on Tuesday dismissed the anticipatory bail pleas of several revenue department officials and employees accused in the alleged multi-crore Bharatmala Project scam. The accused have been booked by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on charges of corruption and financial irregularities.
A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Ramesh Chandra Sinha heard the matter. Those whose pleas were rejected include the then SDM Nirbhay Kumar Sahu, along with Lekhram Dewangan, Lakheshwar Prasad Kiran, Shashikant Kurre, D.S. Uike, Roshan Lal Verma, and Deepak Dev. Apart from Sahu, the others were serving as tehsildars, naib tehsildars, revenue inspectors, and patwaris at the time of the alleged scam.
Land Compensation Irregularities Under Probe
According to the EOW-ACB, the accused officials allegedly conspired with land mafia to approve inflated compensation amounts during land acquisition for the Bharatmala Project. The manipulation reportedly caused a loss of around ₹600 crore to the state exchequer. Following the exposure of the irregularities, all the accused officials were suspended.
Court Cites “Serious Economic Offences”
During the hearing, the defence sought anticipatory bail, arguing cooperation with the investigation. However, the court observed that the case involved “serious economic offences and corruption,” and that the investigation was still underway. Granting bail at this stage, it said, could adversely affect the probe. The Bench therefore dismissed all the petitions.
EOW Submits 8,000-Page Chargesheet
The EOW-ACB has recently filed an over 8,000-page chargesheet in the district special court in connection with the case. Deputy Advocate General Dr. Saurabh Kumar Pandey appeared for the prosecution. The court noted that no relief could be granted to the accused until the completion of the investigation.
EOW May Proceed With Arrests
With the anticipatory bail pleas now rejected, the EOW is likely to proceed with the arrest of the accused officials. The agency has already begun verifying land acquisition documents, compensation records, and payment details. Sources indicated that more officials and intermediaries are expected to be questioned in the coming days.
