Manager Amasses ₹5 Crore Wealth After Starting Job With ₹300 Salary; Lokayukta Raids Form House

Dhar, Madhya Pradesh: The Indore Lokayukta conducted raids on the residences of Govardhan Maru Patel, manager of the Adim Jati Seva Cooperative Society in Dhar, uncovering assets far exceeding his declared income. Patel, who began his career in 1984 as a salesman with a monthly salary of just ₹300, has reportedly amassed wealth worth approximately ₹5 crore, an astonishing 291 times his total earned salary.

Details of the Raid
The raids, carried out early Wednesday morning at Patel’s properties in Labaria, Sardarapur tehsil, revealed:

• Cash and Valuables: ₹2,04,000 in cash, and gold and silver worth ₹16 lakh. Furniture, electronics, and other household items were valued at ₹17 lakh.
• Form House & Agricultural Assets: A two-story form house measuring 50×30 feet on 2 bighas of land, along with a 30×150 ft RCC warehouse/dairy, storing 500 quintals of soybeans, 126 bags of fertilizer, 12 buffaloes, 20 domestic animals, tractors, and agricultural equipment. Total estimated value: ₹1.05 crore.
• Warehouse Property: Another warehouse on Badnawar Road, rented out for ₹5,000/month, with assets worth ₹50 lakh.
• Vehicles and Family Assets: An XUV 500, a harvester, and a motorcycle valued at ₹32.4 lakh. Land and property registered under his son and daughter-in-law total ₹74.43 lakh.

Career and Wealth Accumulation
Patel’s salary over the years amounts to roughly ₹80 lakh, and ancestral agricultural income is estimated at ₹40 lakh, totaling ₹1.2 crore in legitimate income. His accumulated wealth, however, stands at ₹4.7 crore, prompting the Lokayukta to file a case and launch a detailed investigation.

Current Status
The Lokayukta continues to scrutinize Patel’s properties and financial records, including eight bank accounts, insurance policies, and additional real estate holdings, as part of a broader probe into disproportionate assets.