Indore, June 10 (IANS) Lokayukta police on Wednesday said it raided the premises of a senior Women and Child Development Department officer in Indore and unearthed assets worth around Rs 9.5 crore allegedly belonging to him and his family.

The action was carried out against Laxminarayan Kandwal, Joint Director in the Women and Child Development Department, following a complaint that he had amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. Searches were conducted simultaneously at multiple locations linked to the officer in Indore and nearby areas.

According to Lokayukta Superintendent of Police Rajesh Sahay, a case was registered after verification of the complaint received against Kandwal. “We received a complaint alleging possession of assets disproportionate to known sources of income by the officer. After a preliminary verification, a case was registered, and search operations were carried out at premises linked to him,” Sahay told reporters on Wednesday.

According to Lokayukta officials, Kandwal joined government service in 1996 and has earned an estimated salary of around Rs 2.5 crore during nearly three decades of service. However, assets worth around Rs 9.5 crore have been identified during the raids so far.

Among the properties detected are a multi-storey building spanning nearly 13,500 square feet, two plots in Indore city, and 11 plots in villages near the Pithampur industrial area. Officials also recovered documents related to investments, bank accounts and other financial assets.

Sahay said the assessment of movable and immovable properties was still underway, and the total value of assets could increase after detailed verification.

“Assets worth approximately Rs 9.5 crore have been found during the searches conducted so far. The valuation process is continuing, and a detailed assessment of all documents and properties is being carried out,” he said.

The Lokayukta police are also examining financial transactions and records related to properties and business establishments linked to the officer’s family members to ascertain the source of funds used to acquire them. A case has been registered against Kandwal under the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.

Officials said further investigation is underway, and additional details are expected to emerge after scrutiny of the seized documents and financial records.

–IANS

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