THE State Economic Offences Investigation and AntiCorruption Bureau (SEOIACB) has filed a 6,000-page chargesheet against eight former Panchayat officials, including a dismissed former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Zila Panchayat Kanker, in connection with an 18-year-old National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) procurement irregularities case involving an alleged Rs 1,69,14,247 loss to the Government exchequer. The chargesheet was filed on July 27, 2026, before the Special Judge under the Prevention of Corruption Act at Kanker in Crime No 31/2008, registered under Sections 120-B, 409 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 13(1)(c), 13(1)(d) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. According to the investigation, the accused allegedly bypassed prescribed tendering and procurement procedures while purchasing materials under the NREGS during 2006-07 and 2007-08. The irregular purchases included flex boards, muster roll verification sheets, employment guarantee manuals, employment registers, flex cobra file covers, muster roll forms and labour information sheets. Investigators found that KP Dewangan, then CEO of Zila Panchayat Kanker, had adopted a centralised district-level procurement mechanism despite government rules authorising individual Janpad Panchayats and Gram Panchayats to undertake independent purchases.

 

The probe also found evidence of violations of the Chhattisgarh Panchayat (Procurement of Materials and Goods) Rules, Chhattisgarh Stores Purchase Rules, and procurement procedures prescribed through Chhattisgarh Samvad. The chargesheet names K P Devangan, Radhakant Kar, Govardhan Gajballa, Pardeshi Ram Markam, Bharat Ram Netam, Ramkishun Dhruv, G R Thakur and Sanwaldas Baghel, all former CEOs of Zila or Janpad Panchayats in Kanker district. The bureau alleged that the accused acted in conspiracy, abused their official positions and caused wrongful loss to the State by irregularly spending Rs 39,90,252 at Zila Panchayat Kanker and Rs 1,29,23,995 across seven Janpad Panchayats, aggregating Rs 1,69,14,247. SEOIACB stated that KP Dewangan has two other corruption-related cases registered against him. In one case, a final report has already been filed over alleged manipulation of interview marks through forged documents, while another chargesheet pertains to the alleged misappropriation of Rs 8,44,60,719 through abuse of official position and violations of Government procurement rules.