Chhattisgarh: 14 govt officials booked in ₹7 cr tendupatta financial fraud case

The EoW officials said that the case involves the misuse of approximately ₹7 crore intended as incentive wages for forest produce collectors during the 2021 and 2022 tendupatta seasons

Updated on: Jul 15, 2025, 16:03:25 IST

By Ritesh Mishra

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A chargesheet was filed on Tuesday by the Chhattisgarh State Economic Offenses Investigation Bureau (EoW) in a financial fraud case involving the embezzlement of funds meant for tendupatta (tendu leaf) collectors in Sukma district of Bastar.

The accused officials allegedly conspired to divert a large portion of this amount by preparing forged documents. (Image sourced from India Fellow website)

The EoW officials said that the case involves the misuse of approximately ₹7 crore intended as incentive wages for forest produce collectors during the 2021 and 2022 tendupatta seasons.

The accused officials allegedly conspired to divert a large portion of this amount by preparing forged documents and using them as genuine records. So far, misappropriation of ₹3.92 crore has been confirmed across eight remote primary forest produce cooperative societies out of the 17 committees under investigation.

Also Read: Ex-sarpanch booked for ‘embezzlement’ of panchayat funds

The chargesheet, running over 4,500 pages, was submitted on Tuesday in the special anti-corruption court in Dantewada against 14 government officials.

Tendupatta collection is a vital source of livelihood for tribal communities in this heavily forested and insurgency-hit region.

Many families in Bastar depend entirely on tendupatta wages for their survival. During the investigation, EoW officers travelled to several remote and inaccessible locations including Madaiaguda, Golapalli, Kistaram, Jagargunda, Chintalnar, Chintagufa, Bhejji, Konta, and Polampalli to record statements from villagers.

The case has been registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust), 467, 468, 471 (forgery and use of forged documents), and 120B (criminal conspiracy), along with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 as amended in 2018.

The investigation into the remaining nine cooperative societies is still underway.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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