Madhya Pradesh deputy LoP Hemant Katare, family booked in ISBT land allotment case
Bhopal: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Madhya Pradesh has registered a case against Hemant Katare, Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha and a second-time Congress MLA from the Gwalior-Chambal region, along with his family members, over alleged irregularities in the allotment of land under the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) project in Bhopal.
The case, which dates back to 2004, was registered following a complaint filed by C.R. Dutta, a resident of Harsh Vardhan Nagar, Bhopal. The complaint was forwarded to the EOW by the state’s General Administration Department (GAD).
A preliminary enquiry into the matter was initiated in 2015, and after a long investigation, a regular case was filed on Wednesday against Katare, his brother Yogesh Katare, his mother Meera Katare, and sister-in-law Ruchi Katare—who are all partners in the commercial entity M/S High-Speed Motors. Several officials from the Bhopal Development Authority (BDA) at the time, including then CEO K.P. Rahi and OSD Manoj Verma, have also been named as co-accused.
According to the EOW, investigations established that the plot allotted to M/S High Speed Motors under the Kushabhau Thakre Inter-State Bus Terminal scheme was granted in violation of existing regulations. The land use was allegedly changed to commercial, and the price of the allotted plot was determined without a tender process, giving undue benefits to the company.
The accused have been booked under Sections 420, 468, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), among other related provisions.
Reacting to the FIR, Hemant Katare alleged that the case was politically motivated. “The matter dates back to 2004. Even the preliminary enquiry was registered in 2015. Why did it take so long for the EOW to register a case? This is a clear-cut matter of political vendetta against me and my family,” he said.
He further stated, “Even during the previous BJP regime, not one, but six cases were registered against me, all of which were later quashed by the court. This case will also meet the same fate. Even my late father, the then Leader of Opposition Satyadev Katare, was targeted in a similar manner by the BJP government when he raised concerns about the Vyapam scam.”
Katare also pointed out that his septuagenarian mother had been named in the case, claiming it was an attempt to silence him. “The case has been registered against me and my family, including my elderly mother, just to intimidate me. But I won’t be gagged—I will continue to expose corruption vociferously.”
The Congress leader has been vocal about the recent high-profile case involving former transport department constable Saurabh Sharma, who amassed massive wealth. Katare has alleged links between Sharma and ministers from both the present and past BJP governments.