MP court orders seizure of unaccounted assets of retd govt official, kin

A special court here on Monday ordered confiscation of unaccounted assets worth Rs 2.31 crore of a retired government official's family under a special law enacted in Madhya Pradesh to prevent corruption.

These assets were uncovered in a Lokayukta police raid about eight years back.

Special Judge Alok Mishra ordered the confiscation of movable and immovable assets worth Rs 2.31 crore of kin of retired horticulture department deputy director Shivdutt Pandey (63) under the Madhya Pradesh Special Court Act 2011.

Special Public Prosecutor Mahendra Kumar Chaturvedi said the seized immovable properties were purchased in the name of Pandey's family members.

These include a pharmaceutical manufacturing unit owned by Pandey's wife and son in an industrial area in the nearby town of Dewas. Machinery, raw materials and finished products kept there were seized.

As per the court order, the seized assets of Pandey's family include land at two places in Indore district, a dairy farm and cash worth Rs 3.49 lakh, besides bank fixed deposits of Rs 4.57 lakh and other deposits worth Rs 15.18 lakh.

Chaturvedi said the Lokayukta police raided Pandey's premises on January 11, 2011, when the latter was posted as deputy director the horticulture department in Indore.