IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe has been officially cleared by Nagpur Police of all allegations related to his role at the Nagpur Smart City Corporation during his tenure as CEO amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Industry Minister Uday Samant informed the Legislative Assembly that two separate investigations—by Nagpur City Police and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW)—found no evidence of wrongdoing.
Addressing a call attention motion raised by BJP MLA Krishna Khopde, Samant explained that the probes examined claims of corruption involving the disbursement of ₹20 crore for various contracts during the pandemic. At the time, Mundhe was serving as Municipal Commissioner of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and held additional charge as officiating CEO of the Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation Limited (NSSCDCL).
Khopde had alleged that Mundhe authorized orders related to ₹20 crore of NSSCDCL funds without proper jurisdiction, prompting an FIR at Sadar Police Station filed by the then mayor and other NMC officials. Additionally, Khopde referenced a complaint by two women officers from the Smart City project alleging harassment, seeking clarity on the investigations’ status after nearly two years of silence.Responding on behalf of Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde, Samant confirmed Mundhe’s exoneration in both inquiries—one by Sadar Police and the other by the EOW.
Investigations concluded that the FIR allegations were unsubstantiated and that Mundhe acted within his authority in managing Smart City affairs.An inquiry committee led by the then Nagpur Police Commissioner found no evidence supporting claims of power misuse by Mundhe, echoed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (EOW), Crime Branch, who reported no irregularities.
BJP leader Pravin Datke urged that both clean chit reports be presented in the Assembly and requested an update on the ongoing harassment inquiry involving the two women officers. Samant assured that the harassment probe report would be completed within a month and its findings submitted to the House.
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