Rs 51 crore fine allegedly reduced to Rs 4000, Doctor-turned-IAS officer faces corruption allegations
Corruption Allegations
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh-based IAS Officer, Dr Nagarjun B. Gowda, is facing allegations of corruption over a massive reduction in the fine amount imposed for illegal mining.
Dr. Gowda has been accused of drastically reducing a Rs 51 crore illegal mining fine to merely Rs 4,032 during his tenure as the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) in Harda district. His decisions as ADM of Harda are being questioned by RTI activist Anand Jat. Currently, Gowda is serving as the CEO of the Khandwa District Panchayat.
The matter came to light after RTI activist Jat accused Dr. Gowda of favouring a private company, Path India Limited, in a case linked to alleged illegal mining activities connected to the Indore–Betul National Highway project.
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As per the latest media report by Law Chakra, during this project, allegedly, the company excavated 3.11 lakh cubic meters of gravel soil from Andherikheda without proper permissions. Back then, the then ADM, Praveen Phoolpagare, issued a fine of ₹51.67 crore to the company. However, after Dr. Gowda took charge as the ADM, the amount of fine was drastically reduced to Rs 4,032, which led to outrage and allegations of irregularities.
RTI Activist Accuses Dr. Gowda of Favouritism:
RTI Activist Anand Jat has claimed that the reduction in the amount of fine indicates a possible favouritism or compromise between the administration and the company. He has alleged that while the official records claim the absence of photographic or video evidence of mining, local villagers reportedly possess visual proof of large-scale excavation, Vartha Bharati has reported.
In multiple statements, RTI Activist Jat has accused Dr. Gowda of "manipulating the case records" and "settling the issue through a backdoor deal". He demanded an independent inquiry, arguing that the fine reduction caused a significant loss to the exchequer and undermined public confidence in administrative fairness.
"Reducing a fine of ₹51 crore to ₹4,000 cannot be justified on any administrative ground. The documents clearly point to a cover-up," Jat said.
Dr. Gowda Defends:
Meanwhile, Dr. Gowda has publicly defended his stance and explained that the previous ADM had only issued a notice and had not completed the investigation. He mentioned that when Dr. Gowda took over, much of the land in question was already permitted for mining.
He also informed that the Tehsildar's report and the panchnama lacked proper documentation to prove illegal mining and the arguments against the company had no substantial evidence, including photographs or videos.
"If there was nothing wrong with the investigation, how could we impose a fine? Everything is legal. If anyone had an objection, they could have appealed. However, even after two years, no one has appealed," Dr. Gowda said.
Despite Dr. Gowda's explanation, RTI activist Anand Jat has alleged that there may have been a deal to settle the case. He further claimed that the villagers do possess evidence in the form of photographs and videos, contradicting official reports. Meanwhile, the public has criticized Gowda on social media platforms.
Dr. Nagarjun B. Gowda is a 2019 batch IAS officer. He also holds an MBBS degree and has authored several books. He is also known for his active engagement on social media platforms for motivating UPSC aspirants.
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