The Lokayukta special police establishment on Wednesday morning executed a major search operation at the Anand Vihar residence of Laxminarayan Kandwal, Joint Director of the Women and Child Development Department in Indore. Lokayukta Police Superintendent Rajesh Sahay had received verified intelligence inputs regarding Kandwal acquiring disproportionate assets during his service tenure. Following a verification exercise conducted by acting Inspector Ashutosh Mithas, a formal case was registered under Sections 13(1)b and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 2018. The co-ordinated searches commenced simultaneously at various locations linked to the officer at 6 am. Assets surpass legal income by 241 per cent: According to preliminary findings released by the Lokayukta team, Kandwal accumulated vast resources far exceeding his legitimate career earnings. While his total declared and lawful career income was calculated to be approximately Rs 2.80 crore, the search teams recovered documentary evidence of assets and investments worth Rs 09,76,15,04. This accumulated wealth represents an excess of 241 per cent over his known and legal sources of income. Investigators indicated that the monetary volume of these undeclared assets is highly likely to increase as the document evaluation continues.

 

Vast real estate empire across Indore and Dhar districts: The ongoing investigation has exposed a massive real estate portfolio registered under the names of the joint director’s wife, sons, daughter-in-law, and close family members across Indore and Dhar districts. Confiscated land records show that Kandwal bought 2.560 hectares of agricultural land in Tarpura village, Dhar, valued at Rs 9,36,655, and 4.155 hectares of farm land split into three parcels in Banedia, valued at around Rs 75.53 lakh. Additionally, the accused acquired three massive land plots in Bekalya near the industrial town of Pithampur, valued at over Rs 2.52 crore, along with land holdings worth Rs 1.53 crore in Sagour and Rs 67 lakh in Tarpura. Luxury three-storey mansion and bank locker recovered: The suspect official also purchased Plot Number 149-C in Anand Vihar, Scheme 103, which is ranked among Indore’s most premium residential locations. On this land, he constructed a massive ground-plus-three-storey mansion spanning approximately 13,560 square feet. Lokayukta technical assessment teams have estimated the purchase and luxurious construction cost of this property to be Rs 2,66,57,450. Additionally, records of two high-value plots in Indore Development Authority Scheme 140 were found, as well as a bank locker at the Bank of India branch in Santha Bazar, Sarafa, which will be opened for investigation shortly.

 

Lokayukta Inspector Ashutosh Mithas confirmed that the anti-corruption wing successfully raided several premises linked to Laxminarayan Kandwal. The inspector detailed that the ground floor of the official’s luxury three-storey residence had been rented out to commercial establishments, while a commercial fitness gym was operating on the upper floor. Investigating teams searching his third-floor living quarters recovered a bulk of critical financial registries, bank logs, and property registration deeds which have now been taken into custody for detailed legal analysis.