The high-profile Chhattisgarh co-operator Jhunmun Gupta who was all over the place in recent times, has been found guilty of siphoning off money and has been debarred from contesting co-operative elections.
Gupta has been found guilty in the probe done by the SDM of his involvement in embezzlement of Rs 40 lakh from the district cooperative union. In the investigation report, the former chairman was asked to pay the entire amount and was barred him contesting any cooperative elections for six years.
Sadly, for Gupta, even before the election of Chhattisgarh based Balod District Cooperative Union could take place, the former Chairman who is the present Chairman of the Chhattisgarh State Co-op Union is getting all the negative media attention because of his involvement in misappropriation of the Union’s funds during his tenure.
Talking to Indian Cooperative correspondent Gupta said, “I am not involved in misappropriation of funds of the district co-op union and have conducted my work with full transparency. Even the Cooperative Department used to do an audit of district co-op union accounts and they never found any irregularities, he added.
“Why is the question of embezzlement of funds being raised now? I have not done any wrong which is against the district cooperative union”, Gupta said who is said to be close to Satyanarayan Sharma who is an MLA and on the GC of NCUI”.
Calling the investigation report wrong, Gupta said people are plotting against me to tarnish my image. The report is groundless. The election of the union used to be conducted by the government body in the past.
Jhunmun Gupta is also accused of misusing the district co-op union vehicle for his personal use. In this context, Gupta said each and every record of the vehicle is on the books of the district co-op union.
This investigation was done on the complaint of Kishori Sahu, President of the Service Cooperative Society Maryadit Soror of Gurur Development Block. Sahu accused Jhunmun Gupta of misusing the annual donations amounting to about Rs 40 lakh received by the cooperative union during his tenure. Gupta was the Chairman of Union till 2015-2020.
Gupta, who donned himself as a journalist in the past is also close to the present dispensation. But none of his political connections could save him from the probing eyes of the SDM who conducted the investigation , says his critics.
Meanwhile, the election of the Union is underway and the list of voters has been released. The term of board ended in August and the government appointed Administrator in the Union. Due to Covid, there is a delay in the election process but it is claimed the election schedule will be released soon.