Lokayukta Police File Corruption Case Against BMC Finance Official
The Lokayukta police in Bhopal have taken decisive action by registering a corruption case against Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) additional commissioner (finance) Gunwant Sevitkar and several other individuals. The case centers on serious allegations of generating fraudulent electronic bills through the corporation's sophisticated SAP system with the apparent intent to siphon off crores of rupees from public funds.
Allegations of Massive Financial Fraud
According to official statements from Lokayukta authorities, the complaint alleges that Sevitkar, working in alleged collusion with other municipal corporation employees, systematically created fake e-bills using the SAP software platform. These fabricated bills facilitated payments worth substantial amounts—reportedly crores of rupees—for various municipal works that were never actually executed.
The fraudulent activities reportedly covered multiple departments and types of work, including:
- Vehicle painting and repair works at central and motor workshops
- Various maintenance and operational works related to the water works department
- Administrative works within the general administration departments
Investigators have revealed that despite payments being processed and cleared, no actual physical work was carried out for these billed services, indicating a sophisticated scheme to divert public money through digital means.
Sophisticated Manipulation of Digital Systems
The investigation has uncovered that officials allegedly manipulated billing records by creating entirely fictitious heads and categories within the SAP system. This digital manipulation allowed payments to be routed to firms that investigators suspect are linked to acquaintances and relatives of those involved in the scheme.
Furthermore, officials involved in the case are suspected of receiving commissions for clearing payments against these fabricated bills, adding a layer of personal financial gain to the alleged corruption. The Special Police Establishment (SPE) of Lokayukta, Bhopal, registered the case after preliminary verification indicated significant irregularities in payment processing related to vehicle repairs and other municipal works.
Legal Action and Evidence Collection
The complaint was thoroughly verified by Lokayukta SP Durgesh Rathore, leading to the formal registration of a case against Sevitkar and other implicated officials. The First Information Report (FIR) has been filed under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) along with various other sections pertaining to corruption, cheating, forgery, use of forged documents, and criminal conspiracy.
In a significant development following the case registration, Lokayukta officials obtained a search warrant from the court and conducted a targeted search at the server centre of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation. During this operation, authorities seized the hard disk containing SAP software data for comprehensive forensic examination, which is expected to provide crucial digital evidence of the alleged fraudulent activities.
This case highlights growing concerns about digital corruption in municipal governance and the vulnerability of sophisticated software systems to manipulation by officials with privileged access. The Lokayukta's action represents a serious effort to address corruption in digital payment systems within public institutions.
