Bhopal: The State Government has on Friday suspended four officials including two senior Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officers with immediate effect. Arvind Kumar Joshi, Principal Secretary, Parliamentary Affairs and Jails, and Tinoo Joshi, Principal Secretary, Women and Child Development Department have been suspended. During suspension period, both officers’ headquarters will be at Mantralaya, Bhopal.
Besides, Engineer RD Chaudhary posted in Road and Bridge Development has also been suspended. Another officer- Executive Engineer Jitendra Bhasne posted in PWD was also suspended. The Lokayukta had raided his premises last year, and on receipt of report from Lokayukta he was suspended. Bhasne is also husband of ICICI Bank agent Bharti Bhasne, at whose residence, the IT officials conducted raids on Thursday. The action was taken a day after Income Tax officials raided the premises of Joshi couple and recovered Rs 3.26 crore cash and other assets.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told media persons that both the officers have been suspended on receipt of reports regarding IT raids. He reiterated that corruption would never be tolerated in Madhya Pradesh. Earlier, too, the government suspended Director Health Yogiraj Sharma, after a similar raid was conducted at his premises. After the suspension of both the senior officials, the General Administration Department (GAD) issued orders for deputing new officials in the departments which were headed by suspended officials.
As per the orders issued by the State Government, Abha Asthana, Additional Chief Secretary, Religious Trust, Culture has been given additional charge of Jails and Parliamentary Affairs Department. Lavleen Kakad, Principal Secretary, Social Justice will be in additional charge of Women and Child Development Department. Principal Secretary, Public Works Department, PS Meena has been given additional charge of Sports and Youth Welfare Department.
Meanwhile, the IT department has recovered Rs 3.26 crore cash, and other assests in the raids conducted at 13 premises in Madhya Pradesh. Similarly, Rs 52 lakh cash was recovered from the seven premises in Chhattisgarh. The investigation still continues. According to Director-General (Investigation) of Income Tax department Brijesh Gupta, in Bhopal, besides Rs 3.26 crore cash, the officials recovered jewellery worth Rs 67 lakh and foreign currency worth Rs 7 lakh. As many as 14 bank lockers, which were found in the raids, have been sealed. Similarly, in Chhattisgarh, Rs 52 lakh cash, jewelery worth Rs 73 lakh, and 220 fake bank accounts with transactions of about Rs 40 crore were recovered in the raids.