Bhopal:

The question “Where is Mansingh Patel?” was first raised by NDTV on January 7 last year. The Supreme Court has now directed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to find the answer. This directive comes in response to a habeas corpus petition, which demanded that Mansingh Patel be produced before the court, alleging that he has been unlawfully detained.

Former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision, while the opposition has become increasingly aggressive, demanding resignations. Govind Singh Rajput, however, asserted that the Supreme Court’s order proves there is a political conspiracy against him and that he has been absolved of any wrongdoing. He expressed his willingness to cooperate with the SIT and warned of defamation suits against anyone attempting to tarnish his image.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari criticized the state’s Home Minister and the entire Home Ministry, arguing that the Supreme Court’s decision to appoint an SIT with officers from outside the state reflects a lack of faith in the local police. Mr Patwari called for the resignation of both the Home Minister and the involved minister, asserting that the Supreme Court’s order highlights the incompetence of the state’s police and administration.

Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari also acknowledged the role of NDTV in bringing attention to the Mansingh Patel case, stating, “Thanks to NDTV, which has consistently raised this issue. I urge the media world to pay some attention to such matters.” 

Govind Singh Rajput, who held the Revenue and Transport portfolio in the Kamal Nath government before joining the BJP with Jyotiraditya Scindia, now oversees the Food and Civil Supplies Department under Dr. Mohan Yadav’s administration.

All about the case

The controversy centres around a piece of land in Sagar district, where the Cambridge School is operated by Gyanveer Seva Samiti, chaired by Savita Singh Rajput, wife of Minister Govind Singh Rajput. 

The land, which includes the minister’s Kila Kothi, has been under dispute for several years. The person who initially filed the complaint about the land, Mansingh Patel, has been missing since 2016. His son, Sitaram Patel, made sensational allegations in an exclusive interview with NDTV in 2023, accusing individuals of foul play.

Mansingh Patel and his brother Uttam Singh Patel owned around four acres of land in Tilli Ward in the state’s Sagar district. After a court ruling, a portion of this land was awarded to Narayan Prasad, who later sold it to Kailash Yadav. Mr Yadav then transferred the land to Govind Singh Rajput. On May 16, 2016, Mansingh Patel filed a petition in court, accusing Mr Rajput of illegally registering the land in his name using forged documents. He expressed concern for his safety, stating that he was a poor labourer and feared for his life.

Two months later, on August 26, 2016, Mansingh Patel went missing, and his whereabouts remain unknown to this day. A missing person report was filed at the Civil Line Police Station in Sagar district.

Following NDTV’s coverage, Minister Govind Singh Rajput’s brother, the victim’s brother and their lawyer held a press conference, denying all allegations and presenting a document. They claimed that Sitaram Patel had filed an affidavit in September 2016 stating that his father had not been abducted. 

However, NDTV raised the question of how an affidavit concerning abduction could be filed when a missing person report had already been lodged, leaving the parties at a loss for words. Mansingh’s brother, Uttam Singh, even suggested that Mansingh had become a hermit, dismissing his nephew’s accusations.

The OBC Mahasabha took the case to the Supreme Court following NDTV’s report. The court has now directed the Director General of Police (DGP) of Madhya Pradesh to form an SIT comprising IPS officers from outside the state. The court also ordered that the missing person report be treated as an FIR and that the SIT ensure the protection of witnesses and record their statements in a secure environment, with video documentation where necessary. The SIT has four months to complete the investigation.

Sagar:

A case has been registered against Madhya Pradesh Transport and Revenue Minister Govind Singh Rajput for “violation of Mode Code of Conduct” in force in the state for the assembly polls next month.

Congress has demanded his removal over “open and blatant offer that he will pay Rs 25 lakh” to the booth where most votes are cast in favour of the ruling party in the state.

According to the FIR, the action was taken following the report of the Returning Officer of the Surkhi assembly constituency.

The case was registered against the minister in Rahatgarh police station in Sagar district under IPC section 188 and section 123 of the Representation of the People Act.

Govind Singh Rajput is contesting elections from Surkhi assembly seat in the district. A purported video of Minister Rajput went viral in which he is seen announcing to give Rs 25 lakh to the polling booth “which gets the most votes” for BJP in the upcoming elections.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, senior party leader and former Mahila Congress chief Shobha Oza urged the Election Commission to bar Rajput from contesting the elections alleging that “he had openly resorted to corrupt practices by offering money to people”.

The Congress leader claimed that this was the result of the realization on part of the BJP that it was losing the electoral battle in Madhya Pradesh.

She alleged that the ruling party in the state had “now started resorting to such blatant inducements with huge cash”.

“He needs to be questioned and asked for the source of this huge amount of money that he was offering to his election booth in-charges,” she said.

Ms Oza alleged that another BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, who is national general secretary of the party, had offered Rs 51,000 to “agents in the booths where the Congress does not get any vote”.

Ms Oza also claimed that Rajput is close to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

“We demand the Governor (Mangubhai Patel) to dismiss Rajput and investigate the charges against him,” she said.

Madhya Pradesh will undergo assembly polls on November 17 and the counting will take place on December 3.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)