The Anti-Corruption Bureau and Economic Offences Wing (ACB-EOW) on Monday filed the first chargesheet in the alleged overtime payment scam linked to the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL). The agency named 12 accused in connection with the alleged financial irregularities involving nearly Rs 182.98 crore.

Among those named in the chargesheet are businessman Anwar Dhebar, Naveen Pratap Singh Tomar, Tijauram Nirmalkar, Abhishek Singh, Neeraj Kumar Chaudhary, Ajay Lohia, Ajit Narbale, Amit Prabhakar Salunke, Amit Mittal, N. Uday Rao, Rajiv Dwivedi and Sanjeev Jain. The development marks a major step in the investigation into alleged irregularities in overtime and bonus payments made through manpower agencies associated with liquor retail operations in Chhattisgarh.

Massive Financial Irregularities

According to the investigation agency, the alleged scam took place between the financial years 2019-20 and 2023-24. During this period, large-scale excess payments were allegedly made in the name of overtime wages, bonus payments, additional working days and service charges for employees working at liquor outlets managed by CSMCL. Officials stated that the total amount of suspicious or excess payments reached approximately Rs 182.98 crore. Investigators suspect that fake billing, inflated claims and an illegal commission network were used to divert public money through manpower supply agencies. The case has emerged as one of the major corruption-related India News Update developments in Chhattisgarh and has drawn attention due to the alleged involvement of senior officials, contractors and businessmen.

Agencies Under Scanner

The investigation has revealed the role of several manpower companies that allegedly received large payments from CSMCL during the period under scrutiny. These firms include Sumit Facilities, Primeone Workforce, A-To-Z Infraservices, Alert Commandos and Eagle Hunter Solutions. According to ACB-EOW officials, these companies received around Rs 101.20 crore in the name of overtime payments. Apart from this, nearly Rs 12.21 crore was paid as bonus amounts, while Rs 54.46 crore was allegedly disbursed for four extra working days. Investigators also found that around Rs 15.11 crore was paid as service charges to manpower agencies. Officials suspect that a significant portion of these funds was diverted through an organised commission system involving multiple individuals connected to the liquor distribution network.

Overtime Funds Misused

Sources connected to the probe said genuine employees working at liquor shops were entitled to overtime compensation. However, the alleged manipulation of records and inflated billing resulted in excessive payouts far beyond actual requirements. Investigators believe that forged documentation and fabricated workforce details may have been used to justify higher payments. Officials are also examining whether fake attendance records and inflated manpower data were created to facilitate the alleged fraud. The case gained momentum after enforcement agencies reportedly identified suspicious financial transactions linked to manpower contracts associated with the state-run liquor distribution system.

Cash Recovery Became Key

Officials said the seizure of Rs 28.80 lakh in cash on November 29, 2023 became a major turning point in the investigation. According to investigators, the cash recovery helped uncover what they described as an illegal commission network operating within the overtime payment structure. As agencies connected financial transactions and payment records, investigators allegedly found evidence suggesting that money intended for employee welfare was diverted through middlemen and contractors. The Enforcement Directorate report later formed the basis for the ACB-EOW case registered under sections related to corruption, cheating and criminal conspiracy, including IPC sections 420 and 120-B along with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The case quickly became part of the Latest News Today coverage in Chhattisgarh due to the scale of the alleged financial irregularities.

Arrests And Court Action

So far, eight accused have been arrested in connection with the case. After completion of police remand, the accused were produced before a special court, which sent them to judicial custody. Among those arrested earlier was CDL Vice President (Marketing) N. Uday Rao, whose role is being examined by investigators. Officials are also probing links between corporate executives, contractors and individuals allegedly connected to the commission system. The agency stated that the first chargesheet is based on evidence collected so far, including financial records, payment approvals, contract details and statements recorded during investigation.

Probe Still Expanding

ACB-EOW officials confirmed that the investigation is still ongoing and additional legal action may follow in the coming weeks. Authorities are now examining the alleged use, investment and transfer of funds generated through the suspected scam. Investigators are also tracking financial trails to identify whether the money was routed into properties, businesses or shell entities. Sources indicated that more individuals connected to manpower contracts and liquor operations may come under scrutiny as the probe progresses.

The agency has not ruled out filing supplementary chargesheets after further examination of digital evidence, banking records and corporate transactions. The alleged scam has triggered political reactions in the state, with opposition parties demanding strict action against those involved. The case is also being closely watched because of its possible implications for governance and financial oversight in state-run corporations.

Twenty Years. Sixteen Buses. ₹9 Crore Stolen from MP's Exchequer — And Someone Destroyed the Files

There is ordinary tax evasion, and then there is this: two bus operators in Jabalpur who allegedly stopped paying vehicle taxes all the way back in 2006, told the transport office their buses had been scrapped — and then quietly kept running those same buses for two more decades across five districts of Madhya Pradesh. When the government finally tried to recover the dues in 2017, a transport department clerk allegedly made the case files vanish.

On February 27, 2026, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Madhya Pradesh had seen enough. It registered a formal FIR — and what it reveals is a textbook case of how public money disappears when operators, officials, and missing paperwork work in concert.

The Core of the Case: Buses That Were 'Scrapped' But Never Stopped Running

The investigation began after a formal complaint was received from Bhopal, alleging that passenger buses with substantial unpaid tax dues were still being granted permits and fitness certificates. Amar Ujala

Following verification, the truth was hard to ignore. Investigators discovered that 16 buses registered under Sanjay Keshwani and Sadhna Keshwani were actively operating across multiple districts — including Dindori, Jabalpur, Shahdol, Mandla, and Balaghat — on key regional routes including Dindori–Jabalpur, Dindori–Bamhani, Bichhiya–Dindori, and Amarkantak–Malajkhand. Officials say tax liabilities on several of these vehicles remained unpaid for nearly two decades. Amar Ujala

The operators' defence — that the buses had been sold as scrap — collapsed under scrutiny. The buses were not only operational; they were apparently thriving on some of central India's busiest rural routes.

The ₹9 Crore Question: How Files Disappeared at a Critical Moment

The financial fraud alone would have been damaging enough. But what makes this case particularly serious is what allegedly happened when the state tried to fix it.

In 2017, the District Transport Office in Dindori reportedly initiated recovery proceedings for unpaid taxes. During this process, clerk Pushp Kumar Pradhan — then posted at the Dindori District Transport Office and currently serving in Narsinghpur — allegedly caused critical tax files to go missing. Amar Ujala

The consequences of those missing files were immediate and lasting: recovery proceedings stalled, tax arrears remained uncollected, and the government reportedly incurred a total loss of ₹9 crore. EOW officials suspect deliberate tampering and destruction of documents. Amar Ujala

In other words, the evasion did not succeed by accident. It allegedly succeeded because someone inside the system made sure the paper trail went cold at exactly the right moment.

What the FIR Says: Criminal Conspiracy Alleged

The FIR has been registered under Sections 318(4), 61(2), and 238(C) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant anti-corruption provisions. Amar Ujala

The EOW is not treating this as a routine tax default. Authorities allege a criminal conspiracy between the bus operators and certain transport department officials. The probe suggests some buses may have been dismantled without proper authorisation, official records related to tax dues were not safeguarded, and there was abuse of official position to confer undue benefit on the accused. Amar Ujala

Three individuals are formally named in the FIR: bus operators Sanjay Keshwani and Sadhna Keshwani, and transport department clerk Pushp Kumar Pradhan.

Why This Case Is Bigger Than Jabalpur

At first glance, a ₹9 crore bus tax case in a Tier-2 city might seem like a local administrative story. It is not. It is a window into a systemic failure that plays out across India's transport departments every day — and the Jabalpur case illustrates exactly how it works.

Bus operators declare their vehicles scrapped to escape tax liability. Officials either look the other way or, as allegedly happened here, actively help by destroying recovery paperwork. The buses keep running, fares keep being collected, and the state treasury loses crore after crore with no one ever being held accountable — until now.

With growing emphasis on transparency and accountability in public offices, experts suggest that digitisation of transport tax records could prevent file tampering, automated alerts for unpaid taxes may reduce revenue leakages, and periodic third-party audits can strengthen accountability. Amar Ujala

The Jabalpur EOW action is a step in the right direction. But it took a formal complaint from Bhopal, a detailed preliminary inquiry, and nearly two decades of accumulated fraud before that step was taken. That delay is the real story — and it deserves as much scrutiny as the FIR itself.

What Happens Next

EOW officials confirmed that further disclosures are expected as the investigation progresses. Financial audits and scrutiny of transport office procedures are also likely. Amar Ujala

The case is expected to expand. With 16 buses across five districts and nearly 20 years of alleged tax evasion on record, investigators will be examining whether other officials beyond Pushp Kumar Pradhan were involved in suppressing the recovery proceedings — and whether similar patterns exist in other transport offices across MP.

The court will hear the case for the first time during the hearing scheduled on March 17, 2026 — a date that could determine the pace of the judicial process going forward.

The Bottom Line

Two bus operators allegedly told the government their fleet was scrap. It wasn't. A clerk allegedly destroyed the paperwork that would have exposed them. The government lost ₹9 crore. This went on for almost twenty years.

The EOW has now done what should have been done far sooner. The critical question for Madhya Pradesh's transport administration is not just whether these three accused are convicted — it is whether this case triggers the systemic reforms that prevent the next ₹9 crore from quietly disappearing into missing files and false declarations.

₹9 Crore Bus Tax Evasion Case in Jabalpur: EOW Registers FIR Against 16-Bus Operators and Transport Clerk

In a major crackdown on alleged financial irregularities, the ₹9 crore bus tax evasion case in Jabalpur has taken a serious turn after the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) registered an FIR against two bus operators and a transport department clerk. Officials confirmed that the action was initiated late Thursday night following a detailed preliminary inquiry.

The case involves an estimated loss of nearly ₹9 crore to the state exchequer, making it one of the significant tax evasion probes in Madhya Pradesh’s transport sector in recent years.

Complaint from Bhopal Triggered Investigation

According to EOW officials, the investigation began after a formal complaint was received from Bhopal. The complaint alleged that passenger buses with substantial unpaid tax dues were still being granted permits and fitness certificates.

Following verification, investigators discovered that 16 buses registered under Sanjay Keshwani and Sadhna Keshwani were operating across multiple districts, including Dindori, Jabalpur, Shahdol, Mandla, and Balaghat.

These buses reportedly plied on key regional routes such as:

 Dindori–Jabalpur

 Dindori–Bamhani

 Bichhiya–Dindori

 Amarkantak–Malajkhand

Officials say tax liabilities on several of these vehicles remained unpaid for nearly two decades.

Tax Allegedly Unpaid Since 2006

Investigators revealed that the bus operators allegedly stopped paying vehicle taxes in 2006. They had reportedly informed the transport office that the buses were sold as scrap.

However, the EOW inquiry found that the buses continued operations despite these declarations. This discrepancy forms the core of the ₹9 crore bus tax evasion case in Jabalpur, raising serious questions about oversight within the transport department.

The FIR has been registered under Sections 318(4), 61(2), and 238(C) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant anti-corruption provisions.

Files Allegedly Went Missing During Recovery Proceedings

In 2017, the District Transport Office in Dindori reportedly initiated recovery proceedings for unpaid taxes. During this process, clerk Pushp Kumar Pradhan, then posted at the Dindori District Transport Office and currently serving in Narsinghpur, allegedly caused critical tax files to go missing.

Due to the disappearance of these official records:

 Recovery proceedings stalled

 Tax arrears remained uncollected

 The government reportedly incurred a loss of ₹9 crore

EOW officials suspect deliberate tampering and destruction of documents.

Allegations of Criminal Conspiracy

Authorities allege a criminal conspiracy between the bus operators and certain transport department officials. The probe suggests:

 Some buses may have been dismantled without proper authorization

 Official records related to tax dues were not safeguarded

 Abuse of official position to confer undue benefit

An EOW official stated that further disclosures are expected as the investigation progresses. Financial audits and scrutiny of transport office procedures are also likely.

Why This Case Matters Now

With growing emphasis on transparency and accountability in public offices, the ₹9 crore bus tax evasion case in Jabalpur highlights systemic loopholes in transport tax monitoring. The case underscores the importance of digitized records, stricter compliance mechanisms, and stronger internal audits within the Madhya Pradesh transport department.

Experts suggest that:

 Digitization of transport tax records could prevent file tampering.

 Automated alerts for unpaid taxes may reduce revenue leakages.

 Periodic third-party audits can strengthen accountability.

As investigations continue, this case may set a precedent for stricter enforcement in similar transport tax matters across the state.

The registration of an FIR by the Economic Offences Wing marks a significant step in the ₹9 crore bus tax evasion case in Jabalpur. With allegations of long-term tax default, missing files, and possible conspiracy, the case is likely to have wider administrative and legal implications.

Authorities have assured that the probe will proceed transparently, and further action may follow based on findings in the coming days.