MP court orders confiscation of Rs 71 lakh assets of panchayat employee

Indore, Nov 26 (PTI) A special court in Indore has ordered the confiscation of movable and immovable properties of Rs 71.74 lakh belonging to a panchayat employee and his wife.

These properties were unearthed 11 years ago during a Lokayukta police raid, a prosecution official said.

Delivering the verdict on Tuesday, Special Judge Abhishek Goyal ordered the confiscation of movable and immovable properties of Rs 71.74 lakh belonging to Hanif Khan, a panchayat employee from Alirajpur district, and his wife, Sabina Khan.

These properties must be immediately handed over to the Alirajpur district magistrate, he ordered under the Madhya Pradesh Special Courts Act 2011.

"Corruption affects society and administration. The acquisition of such illegal assets is condemnable," the court said.

A Lokayukta police official said raids were conducted at Hanif Khan's premises in 2014 following a complaint of corruption, and assets disproportionate to his legitimate income were unearthed.

At the time, Khan was posted as the panchayat secretary at Badibekal village in Alirajpur district, the official said.

The Lokayukta police had registered a case against Khan under the Prevention of Corruption Act and relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code. PTI HWP MAS GK