A senior electricity department engineer in Indore is under the scanner after Lokayukta police raided nine locations linked to him in a single coordinated operation over a disproportionate assets case. Shivram Semil, Superintending Engineer at MPPKVVCL (Madhya Pradesh West Zone Electricity Distribution Company), is alleged to have amassed assets worth nearly 258% more than his declared income, according to the initial findings of the raid.
Case registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act
After registering a case against Semil under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Lokayukta teams simultaneously searched properties in Indore, Pithampur, Dhar and Morena. Officials say Semil has served in government employment for about 33 years, during which his legitimate income adds up to roughly Rs 2 crore. Against that figure, investigators have so far traced assets worth more than Rs 7.16 crore, a gap that forms the basis of the entire case.
A three-storey bungalow in Silicon City and several plots
Among the properties uncovered is a lavish three-storey bungalow in Indore's Silicon City, estimated to be worth around Rs 1.20 crore. Besides the bungalow, the search turned up multiple plots, commercial properties, office spaces and an electric car. Investigators are now examining the paperwork for each of these assets to trace exactly how they were financed.
Money also routed into transformer manufacturing firms
The probe further found that money had been invested in several transformer manufacturing factories. Firms named in the investigation include Shubham Electrical, Karnish Powerzone and S.S. Electricals, all of which are now being examined separately. Officials say these investments were not held directly in Semil's name but were instead registered in the names of other family members, deepening suspicion that the assets were deliberately concealed.
Properties and investments found in relatives' names
During the searches, the team also recovered documents relating to properties and investments purchased in the names of Semil's son, daughter-in-law, son-in-law and other relatives. The Lokayukta team is now scrutinising all these documents to work out the true extent of the assets and identify their actual owner.
What happens next
The search operation is still underway, with the investigation team gathering details of all movable and immovable assets, bank accounts and investments. Officials say a final valuation of the assets will be carried out only once the investigation is complete, and further legal action will be decided on that basis. The case is being seen as one of the more significant anti-corruption actions in recent times.
