Retired civil servants demand probe into IAS land deal in Madhya Pradesh

By A Representative

A collective of 62 retired civil servants has urged the Madhya Pradesh government to order an impartial judicial inquiry into what they describe as a “highly suspicious” involving officers of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS).

In an open letter addressed to , the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG) cited a Dainik Bhaskar report alleging that fifty officers from multiple state cadres purchased 2.023 hectares of agricultural land in , , on April 4, 2022. The transaction was executed through a single registered deed, despite no cooperative society being formed, and recorded at ₹5.50 crore against a market value of ₹7.78 crore.

The letter highlights subsequent developments that allegedly boosted the land’s value: the approval of a in August 2023 skirting the site, and a change in land use from agricultural to residential in June 2024. Prices reportedly escalated from ₹81.75 per sq. ft. in 2022 to ₹2,500–3,000 per sq. ft. in 2026, resulting in an appreciation of ₹50–60 crore.

The signatories questioned whether officers had prior knowledge of the bypass project and the land use change, and why no transparent mechanism such as a cooperative society was adopted. They warned that the episode raises grave concerns about integrity in public service.

Quoting the letter: “Government officers, especially those belonging to the All India Services (AIS), are the ultimate custodians of law, and any aspersion that they are manipulating the law for their personal benefit, must be fully investigated, promptly and impartially.”

The CCG has demanded that a retired High Court judge be appointed to lead the inquiry and that the government impose a blanket stay on any sale or alienation of the land until the investigation concludes. The group stressed that AIS officers must be held to higher standards of probity, even if it means “passing through a trial by fire.”

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