The Lokayukta police have conducted a series of anti-corruption searches in Indore targeting Laxminarayan Kandwal, a Joint Director in the Women and Child Development Department. The raids, which spanned multiple locations including the official’s residence, a gym, and a departmental store, initially uncovered properties estimated at Rs 9.5 crore. As the investigation progressed, the total value of the unaccounted assets amassed by the officer and his family rose to approximately Rs 11 crore.
Investigation Reveals Massive Income Disparity
Lokayukta Inspector Ashutosh Mithas stated that the agency initiated the action after receiving a formal complaint alleging that Kandwal had accumulated assets far exceeding his legal sources of income. A detailed financial assessment revealed that the official’s total legitimate lifetime income is estimated at Rs 2.8 crore. This figure comprises Rs 2.5 crore accumulated from his official government salary during his career and Rs 30 lakh earned through agricultural sources. Investigators noted that the family’s total expenditure and accumulated assets, currently valued at Rs 10.83 crore, are nearly four times higher than the officer’s legitimate income.
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Valuation of Seized Real Estate and Luxury Items
During the searches, authorities documented extensive investments in real estate and commercial ventures. The team recovered items valued at Rs 38.49 lakh from Kandwal’s residence, alongside gold and silver jewellery worth approximately Rs 24.76 lakh retrieved from a bank locker. An additional Rs 4.89 lakh worth of jewellery was seized directly from the house. Furthermore, the search team valued the inventory inside the family-run departmental store at Rs 35.73 lakh, while electrical equipment and assets inside the gym were valued at Rs 2.71 lakh.
Officer Cites Tailoring Income as Asset Source
When questioned by Lokayukta police regarding the massive discrepancy between his earnings and assets, the 61-year-old official claimed that the wealth was generated by his wife through home-based tailoring and knitting work. Investigators have termed the explanation highly questionable. Inspector Mithas stated that the agency will scrutinize the Income Tax Returns and bank account statements of Kandwal’s wife over the past several years to verify the claim. Currently, the operational bank accounts of the family have been frozen. A case has been registered under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act against Kandwal, who is due to retire in approximately six months.
