Labaria village in Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, woke up on Wednesday to a spectacle of flashing beacons, security personnel, and a convoy of official vehicles — the kind of scene that signals one thing: a major corruption crackdown. This time, the law's grip tightened around Govardhanlal Maru (Patel), manager of the Adivasi Jati Seva Sahakari Samiti, whose wealth, investigators say, had grown far beyond what any government salary could justify.
The raids, carried out by three teams of the Indore Lokayukta, began sharply at 5:30 am and continued for nearly 12 hours, ending only at 5:30 pm. The sweeping action covered Maru's two-storey residence, his farmhouse, office, warehouse, and multiple structures on his agricultural land.
What the teams found has stunned not just officials but the entire district.
During the simultaneous raids, officials recovered Rs 2,41,150 in cash, 145 grams of gold worth Rs 15.52 lakh, 1.23 kg of silver worth Rs 96,219, and furniture, electronics, AC units, and mobile phones worth nearly Rs 16.98 lakh.
But the real shocker came from the documents: movable and immovable assets worth approximately Rs 4.69 crore — nearly four times Maru's total legal income.
According to the Lokayukta, the findings leave little room for doubt: a textbook case of disproportionate assets.
Maru's financial history tells a very different story than the wealth uncovered. He began his career in 1984 as a salesman earning just Rs 300 per month. His approximate total salary over 30 years amounted to around Rs 80 lakh, and his estimated agricultural and ancestral income stands at about Rs 40 lakh — bringing his total legitimate income to roughly Rs 1.2 crore. Yet the Lokayukta teams have already unearthed assets valued between Rs 4.5 crore and Rs 4.69 crore, and counting.
He reportedly owns more than 30 bighas of land, a well-developed farmhouse, and multiple structures that investigators say could not have been built using legitimate earnings.
Word of the raids spread rapidly across Labaria and neighbouring tehsils. Villagers gathered in small groups, whispering about the convoy of 18 vehicles, the boxes of seized valuables, and the piles of documents being carried out.
Lokayukta DSP Sunil Talan, who led the operation, said, "A complaint was received by Superintendent of Police Rajesh Sahay that the manager had amassed disproportionate wealth. Our verification found the allegations true. Three teams searched his home, farmhouse, warehouse, and office simultaneously. His income from 1984 was Rs 300 per month, and over 30 years his total legal income was expected to be around Rs 1.20 crore. But we discovered movable and immovable assets worth Rs 4 crore 69 lakh. An FIR has now been filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act."
Officials confirmed that a detailed panchnama is being prepared and that the raid will continue until every document has been scrutinized.
