Court rejects anticipatory bail to ex-IFS officer Belwal, 2 others

Bhopal: A special court for Economic Offences Wing (EOW) cases on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail pleas of former Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Lalit Mohan Belwal, Sushma Rani Shukla, and Vikas Awasthi in connection with a case involving illegal appointments and financial irregularities in the State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM).Belwal, who served as the Chief Executive Officer of SRLM, is accused of misusing his official position between 2015 and 2023 to make unauthorized appointments and embezzle funds meant for rural women's insurance schemes.According to the EOW, Belwal made unauthorized appointments to key posts, including State Project Manager, by bypassing official procedures and ignoring objections from the departmental minister and senior officials. He also allegedly tampered with official files to carry out these appointments.Appointed ineligible individuals, including Sushma Rani Shukla, and her relatives — Devendra Mishra, Anju Shukla, Mukesh Gautam, Omkar Shukla, and Akanksha Pandey — to various positions within the Mission.The officer has also been accused of approving excessive honorariums, increasing payments by up to 40%, while disregarding norms related to the Cost of Living Index.In a separate charge, Belwal is alleged to have collected Rs 300 per woman from 81,647 women under the Community-Based Micro Insurance (Bima) Yojana. The funds — totalling Rs 1.73 crore — were allegedly collected without proper government approval, and no insurance policies were issued in return.The case came to light after RK Mishra lodged a complaint with the EOW on February 12, 2024. When no significant action followed, he approached the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court, which, considering the seriousness of the allegations, directed the EOW to submit a status report by March 28.Subsequently, an FIR was registered, and the investigation confirmed that Belwal had committed irregularities while holding a government post. His actions were in violation of rules, and departmental instructions were deliberately overlooked. The special court's rejection of anticipatory bail indicates that the allegations are serious and backed by substantial preliminary evidence. All three accused — Belwal, Shukla, and Awasthi — may face arrest as the investigation continues.The EOW is now expected to intensify its probe, and further legal action is likely in the coming days.