The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the disappearance of Mansingh Patel in 2016 has filed a controversial closure report, naming him a witness, which raises doubts about the probe’s integrity. Patel vanished following a land dispute involving state minister Govind Singh Rajput, whom Patel accused of illegally seizing his land. The report noted that many witnesses believed Patel might have become a sadhu, yet it still lists him as a witness in an investigation aimed at finding him. Critics, including the OBC Mahasabha, questioned the report’s credibility, asserting that it was influenced by government pressures to protect Rajput. A CBI inquiry has been demanded for further investigation.
Bhopal:
The Special Investigation Team assigned to ascertain the whereabouts of a laborer from Sagar district, who has been missing, has submitted a closure report in which the missing individual has been named as a witness in the case. This has led to doubts regarding the integrity of the investigation. Mansingh Patel disappeared in August 2016 following a land dispute involving state minister Govind Singh Rajput, who was an MLA from Congress at the time.
This issue revolves around a four-acre plot in Sagar district. Just two months prior to his disappearance, Mansingh Patel accused Mr. Rajput of unlawfully registering his name in the land records. He alleged that his land was seized using forged documents and unauthorized construction was underway. Mr. Rajput asserted that his name was incorrectly entered in the land records and that he sought its removal in October 2016.
In a 2023 exclusive interview with NDTV, Sitaram Patel, Mansingh Patel’s son, implicated the minister but later recanted his statements, which led the OBC Mahasabha to take the matter to the Supreme Court.
Ordered by the Supreme Court in August 2024, the SIT was given a three-month timeframe, yet the report was submitted after considerable delays, raising more questions than it answered.
The report, a copy of which is in NDTV’s possession, includes testimonies from 24 witnesses, 15 of whom asserted that Mansingh Patel was deeply religious and may have become a sadhu. Similar claims had been made by Mansingh’s brother, Uttam Patel, two years earlier in an interview with NDTV.
Notably, while the SIT’s mandate was to find Patel, he was identified as a witness in the closure report on Page 14. Additionally, Inspector Lakhan Lal Uike is noted in the report as both complainant and witness.
The report indicates that Mansingh Patel did not possess a cellphone, prompting questions about the SIT’s attempts to obtain his call records in the first place.
Regarding these discrepancies, SIT chief Abhay Singh described them as a “technical issue.” He stated that the team adhered to all directives from the Supreme Court and submitted their findings accordingly.
Nevertheless, the fact that Patel was categorized as a witness in the very investigation aimed at discovering his fate has heightened skepticism surrounding the inquiry.
“It was asserted that ‘capable IPS officers’ were part of the SIT, yet their peculiar justifications raise significant doubts… The SIT chief now claims the listing of Mansingh as a witness was merely a ‘technical error’—is this a joke?” questioned Congress leader KK Mishra. “Did UPSC examinations also occur via Vyapam? If this is how an SIT formed under the Supreme Court’s orders operates, where is the justice?” he continued.
“The report appears to be entirely prepared by the police under governmental pressure to shield Govind Rajput. The OBC Mahasabha intends to contest this in the Supreme Court. We have previously requested a CBI inquiry as we lack trust in the Madhya Pradesh police,” stated Dharmendra Kushwaha, Member, National Core Committee, OBC Mahasabha.
The report suggests extensive efforts were made to locate Mansingh Patel. Messages were disseminated, photographs were posted in public areas, inquiries were made with relatives, rewards were announced, and social media channels were monitored. However, the team was unable to uncover any substantial leads.
Govind Singh Rajput formerly held the Revenue and Transport portfolio in the Kamal Nath-led Congress government. He later transitioned to the BJP alongside Jyotiraditya Scindia and retained his position. Currently, he serves as the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies.