Chhattisgarh’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Economic Offences Wing (EOW) conducted raids at 12 places in Sukma district — including the residence of former two-time MLA and tribal leader Manish Kunjam — in connection with the alleged misappropriation of Rs 7 crore.
The case pertains to corruption allegations pertaining to funds that were meant to be distributed as bonus to tendu leaves collectors for 2021 and 2022.
According to officials, a Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ashok Kumar Patel in Sukma district was suspended following a complaint that he and some other forest officials had “colluded” in not distributing around Rs 7 crore meant as incentives for collecting Tendu leaves.
Kunjam has been accused of having received kickbacks, sources said.
An FIR was registered under IPC sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) on April 8, police said, adding that Rs 26.63 lakh in cash was seized from one of the suspects.
When contacted, Kunjam claimed he was being “targeted” and that it was he who had made the original complaint in the case.
“They took two of my phones and my diary. I’m the sole complainant. Even after the DFO was suspended on March 10, we protested again asking the (district) collector to take action against him and give the money to beneficiaries,” he claimed
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Formerly a leader of the Communist Party of India and a two-time MLA, Kunjam quit the party in February last year — months after he was denied a ticket to contest the assembly polls from Sukma. He was previously president of the All India Adivasi Mahasabha, the tribal wing of the CPI.
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