Security agencies in Chhattisgarh have arrested a man suspected of having links with Pakistan’s ISI during a routine tenant verification drive. The arrest has triggered alarm over possible anti-national activities in the region.

The accused has been identified as Sevak Singh, a resident of Patti in Tarn Taran district of Punjab. He was living in Aklatara area of Janjgir-Champa district. Police said the suspect came to their notice during a special checking campaign ordered by Superintendent of Police Vijay Kumar Pandey.

When a police team reached a house near Minimata Chowk to verify tenants, Singh’s behaviour raised suspicion. During questioning, his answers did not satisfy the officers. A search of his mobile phone reportedly revealed chats and contacts with numbers from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram and Instagram.

Serious Allegations

Preliminary investigation suggests Singh was in touch with ISI-linked handlers. Police suspect he may have been sharing sensitive information such as locations, vehicle numbers, and photos of important persons and places. There are also unconfirmed claims that he was expecting weapon deliveries via drone from across the border for possible target killings. Officials, however, clarified that these aspects are still under investigation and no concrete confirmation has been established yet.

A case has been registered at Aklatara police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) including Section 152 (acts endangering sovereignty) and others. The mobile phone has been seized and sent for forensic examination.

SP Vijay Kumar Pandey said the probe is progressing rapidly and all digital evidence is being thoroughly analysed. Further arrests or revelations cannot be ruled out as questioning continues.

This arrest comes amid heightened security concerns in Chhattisgarh, especially after previous cases involving radicalisation of local youths. Police have appealed to landlords to verify tenants properly and report any suspicious activity immediately.

The development has once again highlighted the challenge of cross-border intelligence networks attempting to exploit internal vulnerabilities. Officials maintained that the situation is under control and investigations are being conducted with utmost seriousness.

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.