Lokayukta raid on MP forest officer unearths Rs42 crore

Highlighting the corruption in the country's forest and wildlife reserves, the Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta (corruption watchdog) today found unaccounted property and valuables worth Rs42 crore - and counting - on premises belonging to the state's chief conservator of forests, Basant Kumar Singh.

Police officers under the Lokayukta began raiding multiple locations, including Singh's residences at Ujjain and Bhopal at 5 am.

Besides Rs7 lakh in cash and considerable oreign currency, the probe team found that Singh has two houses in Bhopal besides his residence in Ujjain.

The 1987 batch Indian Forest Service officer was found to have a hotel, petrol pump and a lawn hired for marriages in his name.

The official also owns huge tracts of land in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

"The investigation is on and a lot of his properties have been exposed," said Padam Singh Baghel, deputy superintendent of police, working under the Lokayukta.

B K Singh joined the Indian Forest service in 1987. He was posted in Ujjain only six months ago; but in that time has amassed a residential plot in Bhopal, 150 acres of land in his village, and a hotel in Banaras Cantonment, apart from investments in various businesses.

The Madhya Pradesh tourism department boasts of wildlife reserves like Bandhavgarh and Panna, with tigers and the unique gharial crocodile among its population. ''Home of The Grave Gharial Crocodile,'' boasts the department's website. (One does not know who wrote the clumsy description; but with corrupt officers ''the graveyard of the gharial'' could have been closer to the truth.)