Raipur, Apr 17 (PTI) The Chhattisgarh Anti Corruption Bureau/Economic Offence Wing on Thursday arrested an Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officer for alleged involvement in the tendu leaf remuneration embezzlement case in Sukma district.

It is the first arrest in the case registered by ACB/EOW earlier this month, officials said.

“Ashok Kumar Patel has been remanded in ACB/EOW custody till April 23. Patel was produced in the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (I) Neeraj Sharma. The agency had sought his remand till April 30,” said Deputy Director (Prosecution) Mithlesh Verma.

Patel’s counsel Prashant Bajpai said a case of disproportionate assets was first registered against his client and he was arrested despite there being no evidence.

The ACB/EOW had earlier said Patel, then Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Sukma, allegedly misused his position and in connivance with the officers of the forest department and managers and office bearers of various Primary Minor Forest Produce Committees embezzled a major portion of about Rs 7 crore meant for distribution as remuneration to tendu leaf collectors for 2021 and 2022.

A portion of the embezzled money was also allegedly given to some private persons, it said.

On April 10, the ACB/EOW had seized Rs 26.63 lakh from the premises of a forest department employee in Sukma district in raids in connection with this case.

“The raids had covered 12 premises, including that of former CPI MLA Manish Kunjam, employee in the office of Divisional Forest Officer (SFO) Sukma Rajshekhar Puranik and managers of Primary Minor Forest Produce Committees, in Sukma. During the search, Rs 26,63,700 cash was seized from the residence of Puranik,” it said.

Important documents related to the case, mobile phones, electronic devices, several bank accounts and investment related documents were also recovered during raids, it said.

Recently, a separate case of disproportionate assets was also registered against Patel in which investigation is underway, it said.

Patel, a promotee IFoS officer, was then suspended. PTI TKP BNM