Lokayukta Police has unearthed assets and expenditure worth Rs 3.94 crore against the known income of Commercial Tax Officer Manish Kumar Jain, indicating disproportionate assets amounting to 280% of his income. Simultaneous raids were launched at his residences in Jabalpur, Bhopal and Banda in Sagar district at 6 am on Tuesday. The action was initiated following a complaint received by Lokayukta Superintendent of Police Anjulata Patle alleging that Jain had amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

 

After verification by Inspector Brij Mohan Singh Narwariya, a case was registered under Sections 13(1)(b) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018. Manish Jain, who is currently posted in Damoh and was associated with Office of Commissioner, Commercial Tax Department, Jabalpur, is under investigation. The action is being conducted on the directions of Lokayukta Director General of Police Yogesh Deshmukh and under the guidance of Deputy Inspector General Manoj Singh.

 

According to Jabalpur Lokayukta SP, Anjulata Patle, the investigation has identified several properties registered in Jain's name and those of his wife, Nidhi Jain and parents, Shashi Jain and Komal Chand Jain. These include land measuring 278.74 square metres in Jabalpur, valued at around Rs 1.43 crore and a 116.14-square-metre plot registered in his wife's name. In Bhopal, investigators identified a 180-square-metre plot on which a farmhouse was constructed, along with another plot measuring 402.41 square metres. In Banda, Sagar district, properties registered in his parents' names include a 92.93-square-metre plot with a house, valued at around Rs 23.49 lakh and two other plots measuring 91.07 and 111.48 square metres, respectively with houses constructed on them.

 

The investigation has also identified expenditure of approximately Rs 20.10 lakh on vehicles, Rs 33.93 lakh on insurance policies held by Jain and family members and around Rs 7 lakh on gold and silver. Household inventories at his residences in Jabalpur and Banda have been valued at Rs 43 lakh. Cash amounting to Rs 1.20 lakh was also found during the searches. Lokayukta has assessed Jain's known income at Rs 1,03,73,317 while the expenditure identified so far stands at Rs 3,94,65,445. The investigation is continuing to establish the sources of the assets and the extent of the alleged disproportionate wealth. Three teams are conducting the searches under the leadership of DSPs Neetu Tripathi and Rekha Prajapati and Inspector Rajni Tiwari and other personnel. The searches were ongoing at the time of the latest official update.