Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has ordered the immediate suspension of Katni City Superintendent of Police (CSP) Neha Pachisia after an FIR was registered against her in connection with a case involving a demand for Rs 15 lakh and a disputed land deal.
Pachisia, who is investigating a murder case in Katni, is accused of demanding money from the family of Akash Lodhi, who was arrested in April for the murder of a tribal man and later got bail in July. The family said they were pressured to pay Rs 15 lakh in return for help in the case.
Land deal under investigation
According to the complaint, Pachisia and the then station house officer asked for money in exchange for changing statements in court and helping Akash Lodhi get relief in the murder case.
When the family said they could not arrange the money, Pachisia is accused of getting 2.15 hectares of land belonging to Lodhi’s father transferred to another person. The land is located in Kanhwara.
The police inquiry found a major difference between the official value of the land and the amount mentioned in the sale deed. While the guideline value of the property was over Rs 82 lakh, it was sold for only Rs 18.20 lakh.
Investigators said Maroof Ahmed Hanafi, whose name appears as the buyer, may have acted as a frontman in the deal. The inquiry also found that Hanafi did not have enough money to purchase the property on his own.
Bank records showed that on 15th April, the same day the land was registered in Hanafi’s name, Rs 15 lakh was deposited into his account. Of this, Rs 10 lakh came from an account linked to a firm called Shine Partners, while another Rs 5 lakh was transferred by Kshitij Raj Barapatre.
FIR registered, office sealed
Jabalpur Range Inspector General Pramod Verma said an FIR has been registered against Pachisia, Hanafi and Barapatre. The case includes charges related to extortion, cheating, criminal conspiracy and misuse of official position.
The three have also been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 61 (forgery of valuable documents), 198 (false statements), 199 (false declarations), 307 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt, or restraint) and 318(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property).
Senior police officers from the Jabalpur Range conducted the inquiry and recorded statements of more than 10 people connected with the case. Pachisia also appeared before the inquiry officer and gave her statement. Her office was later sealed after the FIR was registered.
CM orders strict action
In a statement on Friday, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav called the matter extremely serious and said negligence, pressure or misuse of an official position in law-and-order matters would not be tolerated. He ordered an impartial investigation and said strict action would be taken against those found responsible.
This is not the first controversy involving Pachisia this year. In July, she faced accusations of demanding Rs 30,000 from a transporter during a vehicle check. After that incident, her driver was suspended, and she was removed from the charge of three police stations.
Before joining the police service, Pachisia worked as an air hostess. She later left the aviation industry to prepare for public service examinations. After being selected through the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC), she served in several districts, including Khandwa and Guna. During her posting as CSP in Guna, she introduced women’s mobile police stations at three police stations to help women resolve certain disputes closer to their homes.
Now, the officer has come under the spotlight for a very different reason, with the police continuing to examine the money trail, land transactions, and financial links between those involved.
