The State Economic Offences Investigation and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SEOIACB) on Thursday carried out coordinated search and seizure operations at 12 separate locations in Sukma district, uncovering fresh material evidence in the Rs 7-crore tendu patta bonus fraud case. The scam, allegedly orchestrated by suspended Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ashok Kumar Patel, involves criminal breach of trust and abuse of official position in siphoning off bonus payments meant for tendu leaf collectors during the 2021 and 2022 procurement seasons. Acting in conspiracy with subordinate officers of the Forest Division and multiple primary minor forest produce co-operative societies, Patel and his associates are accused of withholding large sums of sanctioned incentive payments and diverting public money through forged contracts and unauthorised distribution routes.

 

SEOIACB officials confirmed that FIR No. 26/2025 under Sections 409 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code was registered on April 8 following preliminary findings, and the agency has intensified the probe to trace the entire diversion network. Thursday’s operations led to the recovery of crucial documents, digital evidence including mobile devices, bank records, and investment papers. In a significant breakthrough, Rs 26.63 lakh in cash was seized from the residence of Rajshekhar Puranik, a staff member at the DFO office in Sukma. The searches, conducted simultaneously by teams from SEOIACB and Anti-Corruption Bureau, also targeted key personnel including Manish Kunjam and managers of primary forest committees believed to have facilitated the fraudulent disbursement mechanism. Investigators believe that certain portions of the embezzled amount were routed to private beneficiaries outside the purview of legal agreements.

 

This case also has a direct connection to an earlier disproportionate assets investigation registered against Patel, in which the agency had already conducted raids at several of his linked properties. SEOIACB sources said, “The pattern suggests systemic manipulation of tendu bonus payouts with wilful intent to defraud tribal collectors, most of whom were unaware that their entitlements had been misappropriated.” Senior officials involved in the investigation described the case as a “disturbing reflection of institutional decay at grassroots levels,” adding that “patronage networks and impunity within lower-rung forest offices have allowed this scam to flourish unchecked.” The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are likely in the coming weeks as forensic audits and data analysis are completed.