Sleuths of the Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta uncovered disproportionate assets preliminarily estimated at ₹7.6 crore during coordinated searches across three premises linked to Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, Assistant Director at the Satpura Tiger Reserve in Pachmarhi, on Saturday, November 14, 2026.
According to Lokayukta officials, the detected wealth is roughly 560 per cent higher than Sharma’s known legitimate sources of income—more than double the initial preliminary estimate of 228 per cent that prompted a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Major Recoveries Across Pachmarhi & Chhindwara
Acting on a court-issued search warrant after receiving a complaint against Sharma, his wife, and others, teams from the Lokayukta’s Bhopal division conducted simultaneous raids at his government residence and office in Pachmarhi, as well as his private house in Chhindwara:
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- Cash & Precious Metals: Investigators recovered ₹26,36,800 in cash, 2.528 kilograms of gold valued at approximately ₹3.5 crore, and 1.656 kilograms of silver worth around ₹2.94 lakh.
- Luxury Resort, Villa & Land Deeds: Officials traced ownership links to two commercial and residential properties—an ‘Ecotel Resort’ preliminarily valued at ₹2 crore and ‘Serenity the Villa’ estimated at ₹1 crore—alongside 28 documents pertaining to land transactions.
- Vehicles & Household Valuables: Four vehicles—a Mahindra Scorpio, a Mahindra KUV, a Royal Enfield Bullet, and a scooter—worth roughly ₹31.2 lakh were seized, in addition to household goods valued at nearly ₹50 lakh.
”The Lokayukta puts the initial value of the assets found so far at about Rs 7.6 crore, roughly 560 per cent higher than Sharma’s known sources of income. A clearer picture will emerge once the 28 land documents are examined and the hotel and resort are formally valued.”
— Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta Officials, Bhopal Division
Investigation Ongoing
Lokayukta officials emphasized that the ₹7.6 crore figure remains preliminary, as formal valuation of the resort, villa, and seized land registry papers is still underway. Searches are continuing, with investigators indicating that additional locations linked to the officer may also be raided.
