Chhattisgarh ACB, EOW raids over 20 officials across Chhattisgarh in land scam under Bharatmala Project

RAIPUR: In a sweeping crackdown on corruption linked to the Bharatmala Project, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Economic Offences Wing (EOW) conducted simultaneous raids across 20 locations in Chhattisgarh on Friday morning. The raids targeted officials from the Revenue Department, including SDMs, Tehsildars, Patwaris, and Revenue Inspectors suspected of being involved in a multi-crore land acquisition scam.

ACB/ EOW chief Amresh Mishra said that the action began as early as 6 AM, with teams descending on properties in Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg, Mahasamund, Naya Raipur, and Abhanpur. During the operations, officials recovered large amounts of cash, jewelry, and key land documents, reportedly linked to fraudulent compensation claims.

Among the officials under investigation are Nirbhay Kumar Sahu, Jitendra Kumar Sahu, Dinesh Patel, Shashikant Kurre, Deputy Collector, suspended earlier, Lekhram Devangan, Lakheshwar Prasad Kiran, Roshan Lal Verma, Vinay Kumar Gandhi and others, including representatives from private firms such as Dashmesh Intraventure Pvt. Ltd.

At the center of the investigation is a Rs 43 crore land acquisition scam tied to the Bharatmala project, a major national infrastructure project. Officials allegedly collaborated with land mafias to subdivide land parcels into smaller plots and backdate ownership records, inflating compensation values dramatically.

For example, in the villages of Nayakbandha and Urla, Abhanpur region, authorities claim that land worth Rs 29.5 crore was shown as valued at Rs 78 crore, with 80 new names fraudulently added to the records. One particular family reportedly received Rs 70 crore in compensation for land that was redistributed among 14 members just days before the survey.

A total of Rs 324 crore had been earmarked for compensation along a 9.38-km stretch in the Abhanpur belt, of which Rs 246 crore has already been paid, while the remaining Rs 78 crore has now been frozen following the revelations.

The alleged scam was first brought to light by Leader of Opposition Charandas Mahant, who wrote to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) demanding a CBI probe. The PMO acknowledged the complaint, and Dr. Mahant has since confirmed receipt of a reply. The issue was also raised in Parliament by Lok Sabha MP Jyotsna Charandas Mahant, but the central government has so far declined to initiate a CBI inquiry, prompting Congress legislators to stage walkouts in protest.

Meanwhile, NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) officials had earlier raised red flags about irregularities in the Raipur-Visakhapatnam Economic Corridor—part of the broader Bharatmala project—which further prompted scrutiny from the Revenue Department.

Bharatmala project, launched by the Government of India, aims to create a 50-corridor network connecting over 550 district headquarters through four-lane highways. It is also expected to shift 80% of freight traffic to national highways. However, the unfolding scam in Chhattisgarh has cast a shadow over the implementation process, raising questions about oversight and accountability.

The ACB-EOW has confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, and detailed disclosures will be made upon completion of evidence collection. For now, the raids have shaken the state’s bureaucracy and further intensified the political battle over transparency in mega infrastructure projects.