Fake minister’s letter used to stop transfer in Madhya Pradesh:₹40,000 scam exposed in Chhindwara; 2 arrested, 1 remains absconding

A major fraud case has surfaced in Chhindwara, where a fake letter bearing the name of the Public Works Department (PWD) Minister was used to cancel the transfer of an assistant secretary. The entire forgery, allegedly carried out for just ₹40,000, involved fabricating a ministerial order and halting the transfer through official channels. The scam came to light when Gondwana Gantantra Party leader Satish Nagwanshi questioned minister-in-charge Rakesh Singh, asking why he had issued a letter to stop the transfer of a junior employee. Shocked, the minister denied signing any such document. When shown the letter cancelling the transfer of Panchayat Assistant Secretary Dinesh Sahu, Singh immediately asked his staff to verify it. Upon confirmation that the letter was not genuine, the minister directed the district administration and police to conduct a thorough investigation. Forgery for ₹40,000 Investigations revealed that Ismail Khan, a Seoni resident, teamed up with Dinesh Sahu to produce a fake order in the minister’s name. Ismail allegedly promised to stop Sahu’s transfer for ₹40,000. The two met on 20 June during a government event in Tamia, where Ismail boasted of his high-level connections. Days later, Ismail typed a letter on a forged PWD minister’s letterhead, instructing officials to cancel Sahu’s transfer. The letter was mailed to both the Collector’s Office and the District Panchayat, prompting authorities to halt the transfer. The fraud was only discovered when the minister personally visited Chhindwara. Arrests made, 1 accused absconding Police arrested Ismail Khan (44) and Assistant Secretary Dinesh Sahu after collecting strong evidence. Both were remanded for questioning before being sent to jail. A third accused, Sahil Mehra from Bhopal, is on the run. Sahil is reportedly the son of former Tehsildar Meena Mehra. During the arrest, police recovered ₹1 lakh in cash from Ismail, which he claimed was a “Diwali gift” meant for a senior official. Sources said several influential individuals tried to pressure the police to protect him. Links to Land mafia and political circles The investigation further revealed that Ismail had been active in tribal land conversions in Chhindwara for the past two years, acting as a broker between land mafias, officials, and politicians. He allegedly made lakhs from each transaction and claimed close connections with former collectors. Dev Raven Bhalavi, District President of the Gondwana Gantantra Party, alleged that Ismail had delivered ₹3 crore to a former officer and demanded a digital forensic probe of his phone and laptop to expose the entire nexus. Authorities have now escalated the case to higher levels, aiming to uncover the full network of forged documents and corruption linked to land scams and fake government orders. ​