Tendu Leaf Embezzlement Scandal: Forest Officials Arrested

Eleven individuals, including four forest personnel, were arrested by the Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau in connection with the tendu leaf remuneration embezzlement case. The accused, in collaboration with others, allegedly misappropriated funds intended for tendu leaf collectors. Indian Forest Service officer Ashok Kumar Patel had been apprehended earlier in April.

The Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau and Economic Offence Wing made significant arrests on Thursday, apprehending eleven individuals tied to the controversial tendu leaf remuneration embezzlement case in Sukma district. Among those arrested were four forest personnel, highlighting the depth of the alleged conspiracy.

Deputy forest rangers Chaituram Baghel, Devnath Bhardwaj, Podiyami Idima, and forest guard Manish Kumar Barse, along with several managers, were taken into custody. The scandal had notably already implicated Indian Forest Service officer Ashok Kumar Patel, who was arrested in April while serving as the Divisional Forest Officer of Sukma.

Authorities believe that Patel, in conjunction with various forest department officers and members of Primary Minor Forest Produce Committees, orchestrated the embezzlement of nearly Rs 7 crore meant for tendu leaf collectors during 2021 and 2022. A prior raid on April 10 uncovered approximately Rs 26.63 lakh at a forest department employee's residence, underscoring the corruption's scale.

(With inputs from agencies.)