States » NorthPosted at: Jun 29 2025 1:41AM


Patwari suspended in Bharatmala land scam found hanging, Congress demands CBI probe

Raipur, June 28 (UNI) Suresh Kumar Mishra, a 62-year-old patwari suspended in connection with an alleged land compensation scam under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, was found dead this afternoon at a farmhouse in Joki village under Sakri police jurisdiction. He was due to retire on June 30.
Mishra, reportedly under severe mental stress following his suspension, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a locked room at his sister's farmhouse, a location he frequently visited.
Sakri police recovered two handwritten suicide notes in which Mishra proclaimed his innocence and named a Revenue Inspector (RI), a Kotwar, and another individual, alleging that they had falsely implicated him.
In one of the notes, Mishra wrote, “I am not guilty,” claiming he was the victim of a conspiracy.
He also mentioned his suspension and expressed distress over being framed despite not being involved in any wrongdoing.
Sakri Station House Officer Pradeep Arya confirmed the incident occurred around 1 PM. “The room was locked from inside. The body was recovered and sent for post mortem. A suicide note was found at the spot, and an investigation is underway,” he said.
Earlier on June 25, an FIR was filed at Torwa police station against Mishra and former tehsildar D.S. Uike in connection with serious irregularities in land acquisition for the Bilaspur–Urga National Highway under the Bharatmala project.
Mishra had served in Dheka village, where compensation fraud was exposed through forged documentation.
According to a district level inquiry led by the SDM, land records were deliberately manipulated to insert names of ineligible beneficiaries, leading to inflated compensation disbursements and financial loss to the government.
Following the report, Mishra was suspended and attached to the district headquarters, his last posting was in the Takhatpur region.
The case has since taken a political turn, with the opposition Congress alleging a deliberate cover-up to protect powerful individuals.
Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Communication Department head Sushil Anand Shukla said, “The suicide note clearly states that the patwari was framed, while the actual culprits remain untouched. Since the beginning, we have said that the investigation targets lower level staff while shielding the big fish.”
Calling for an impartial probe, Shukla demanded a CBI investigation under the supervision of a High Court judge. He also accused the BJP-led state government of using the EOW to protect a former minister and a sitting MLA allegedly involved in the scam. “This is not just a state level scam, it involves misappropriation of central funds. The ED must also investigate financial irregularities,” he added.
Shukla further claimed that the current revelations cover only one tehsil, while the fraud may span multiple districts along the Raipur–Hyderabad highway corridor. “A thorough audit of the entire land acquisition under Bharatmala is necessary. This is a multi-crore, organized scam,” he said.
With serious allegations emerging in both legal and political domains, pressure is mounting on the administration to ensure transparent accountability in one of India’s largest infrastructure programmes.
Meanwhile, Bilaspur Superintendent of Police Rajnesh Singh stated that the contents of the suicide note are being thoroughly verified. 'Further action will be taken based on the findings,' he added.
UNI XC RN
Tags: #Patwari suspended in Bharatmala land scam found hanging# Congress demands CBI probe
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